Cuts Like A Knife
by stress
Summary: Part I of the Soul Mates Series: She thought that life couldn’t get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she worked the streets for fun. But that was before he came into her life.
1. Author's Note

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Disclaimer**: As I've said countless times before, and I'm sure I'll say it countless times again, I, _sadly_, do not own any of the newsies. They are © to Disney, as hard as I try to get them for myself. I do, however, own Jess/Stress, Rip, Spindle and the O'Connor's. Any other character is property of the author I've borrowed them from.

**Author's Note**: As I edited this (and, yes, there are still errors), changed the ghetto New Yawk accent to proper English, I've decided to change this to a PG-13. There is mention of rape and violence in this story, that I do not deny. However, I feel that I have handled it as tastefully as I could and the matter in which I approach it is not deserving of a R rating. If you disagree, feel free to e-mail me: stressie at gmail . com. And, of course, if you are uncomfortable with reading about violence and/or sexual encounters, I encourage you to find something more your speed.

**Soul Mates Series**: This is the first installment in _Stress & Jack: Soul Mates_. It is followed by _Secrets Behind the Lies_, _One Year Anniversary_ and _Can't Keep Running_, in case you would like to follow the story further. There is also an author's cut being done with this story - _Obsession: Cuts like a Knife_. It is (for the most part) the same plot with (in my opinion) better characters, better dialoge and a better handling of the material. It is much more historically accurate and it weaves in details from _AVT _that you will not find in this story. So, yeah, you might want to take a gander at the re-write.

**Also: **If you would like to read further into the Rip story, read _A Virgin's Touch_. In that fic, you learn what happened to make Rip into the guy he becomes. I guess, in a way, it's a prequel to this story.


	2. Jessa

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

. May 26, 1895 .

**The O'Connor's Home**

"Jess, dear, your friend is here for you!" Mrs. O'Connor called as thirteen year old Jessa Rhian ran around her "room" in the cramped apartment, getting ready for the day. Today was the day that Spindle, the leader of the newsgirls there in Queens, was going to take her around with her to sell the newspapers . You knew you were accepted into the newsgirl's gang when the leader invited you to sell with her.

"I'll be right down, Mrs. O'Connor!" she cried as she finished pulling on her long black skirt and tucking in her white blouse. Even though the O'Connor's weren't very well-off, Mrs. O'Connor was still able to tailor beautiful clothes for the young girl that they had raised since taking her into their home when she was six.

Just before leaving the room Jess tried to run a comb through her mass of blondish brown curls until she threw the brush down in annoyance. It would take forever to get all the tangles out of her hair and she didn't want to keep Spindle waiting. Spindle was known for having a temper and though they were becoming friends, Jess didn't want to risk upsetting the older girl. Looking herself once over in the mirror, Jess sighed. In the reflection she saw a slim, curvy girl, who looked older than her thirteen years, with long, curly hair and a mischievous glint in her green and gold eyes. The girl in the mirror was wearing a lovely outfit any young girl would love to wear. "If only they would let me wear knickers like the other girls!" she complained out loud, letting her adapted New York accent out since she was the only one in the room. Mr. and Mrs. O'Connor disapproved of her speaking like a street rat, though all she ever did was hang out with the girls at the Queens Lodging House for Newsgirls. She was jealous that the other girls had freedom and could wear anything they wanted when she had to live with the O'Connor's and abide by their rules. Then, remembering that she didn't have any extra time to contemplate her living arrangements, she picked up the quarter off of her dresser and ran out into the living room where she saw one of Spindle's head girls, Quipster, sitting on one of the chairs in the living room, playing with her long brown ponytail, looking bored.

"Hi, Quipster. Where is Spindle?" Jess asked nervously. Spindle only ever sold with her boyfriend, a guy from Harlem that no one has met yet but did not doubt existed, except when she was letting a new girl into her gang of newsies. Jess was worried that Spindle might have changed her mind about letting her become a newsie. After all, she was three years younger than Spindle and actually had a place to call home. Most of Spindle's gang of newsies resented the fact that, even though she was an orphan, both of her parents dying when she was six, she didn't have to live in the lodging house or have to worry about being thrown on the street if she didn't make any money selling papers that day.

"Don't you worry. Spindle said to tell you to meet her down at the distribution center. She was running a bit late this morning and wanted to make sure that you didn't go and sell with out her." Quipster answered calmly. Jess suppressed a laugh. She spent the entire morning worrying about whether Spindle would still let her sell with her or not, and here was Quipster telling her that Spindle was worried about Jess not selling with her.

"Well, I'm ready to go. I'll see you when I get home, Mrs. O'Connor. Tell Mr. O'Connor that I said to have a nice day at work!" she added. Mr. O'Connor, though he was getting on in years, took a job as a trolley conductor so that they had enough money to afford a two bedroom apartment in Queens- one room for the O'Connor's and one for Jess.

Mrs. O'Connor gave Jess a quick kiss on the cheek like she did every day before Jess left to sell newspapers. No matter how many times they told her that they didn't need her to sell papers to make rent, Jess always insisted so that there would be a few extra cents a week. "Bye, dear. Be careful and have fun!" she said before turning back to enter the kitchen and cook breakfast for her husband, remembering the first time she had met Jess. It had been on the passenger ship that she had arrived in America in, along with her husband. Jess was a wee child, only six years old, and her only relative, her father, had just been found dead in the room they were staying in. The captain said that he would make sure that she was sent to the orphanage once they docked at Ellis Island. After convincing her husband that it would be the best thing to do, Mrs. O'Connor offered to take Jess with them when they set off to find a home in New York. She had lived with them since then, for over seven years now. As Mrs. O'Connor reached over to get the bread, she couldn't imagine life without Jess.


	3. Doll

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**At the ****Distribution********Center******

When Jess arrived at the distribution center with Quipster, she looked around, trying to find Spindle, while Quipster wandered off to say hi to her friend Yanchi. When she didn't spot the girls' leader, Jess approached three of her friends: Tunes, the only other girl in the crowd wearing a skirt, with her red hair pulled back in a bun; Moneybags, a tall girl with her dark brown hair hidden under a black newsies hat; and Grace, a short girl with waist length straight blonde hair and bright blue eyes. They were all members of Spindle's elite group of newsgirls and were excited that Spindle had finally decided to let Jess in.

"Hiya girls!" she greeted them. Now that she was out of the O'Connor's apartment, Jess was free to use the New York accent she had picked up when she first arrived in Queens seven years ago. "Nice day to be selling papes, huh?"

"I can't believe you'll finally get to be in our group, Jess," Grace gushed. Jess and Grace had known each other since Jess had come to live with the O'Connor's. They were the closest of all the newsgirls and it wasn't unusual for Grace to spend the night at the O'Connor's instead of the lodging house. The O'Connor's had offered to take her in many times but Grace had lived on the streets too long to be as comfortable in a real home. Besides, she enjoyed her freedom too much and usually made fun of the tight leash they had on Jess.

"Yeah, maybe we can finally give you a real name," cracked Tunes. Everyone knew you couldn't be a newsie without a true newsie nickname and the fact that Jess insisted on using her real name was usually a topic to poke fun at when they were done selling their papers.

"Yeah, I agree with Tunes, here. I mean, what kind of name is Jess, anyways?" added Moneybags, with a smile. She loved being sarcastic, but usually meant no harm.

"Hey, I happen to like me name," Jess replied, pretending to be hurt at Moneybags' remark about her name.

"Yeah, I heard that you were named after a cow. Is that right, Jess?" asked a new voice.

The four girls all turned to greet the newcomer. Right in front of them stood a girl with long, straight red hair and emerald green eyes. She was short in stature but not in confidence; power was written all over her as she strolled up, grinning at how all conversations had stopped when she had approached them.

"Spindle, how are ya doing?" Jess asked, purposely ignoring Spindle's question. She didn't want to act like a baby around the sixteen year old girl and she thought if she went into the whole story about how she actually was named after her father's cow, that she might look childish.

"I'm good, Jess. Are ya almost ready to sell your papes with me today?" she asked calmly, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"Yup, just gotta buy me papes, and I'm on me way," Jess responded, trying to act as cool as Spindle. She mimicked the gesture with her hair and looked ridiculous when all her curls billowed around her instead of resting on her shoulder.

"Wait, Spindle. Aren't ya gonna introduce me to your lovely little friend here?," a tall and handsome boy of around sixteen asked as he shot Jess a charming smile. With his jet black hair and icy blue eyes, he was gorgeous and, as Jess could tell just by the way he smiled at her, he knew it.

"Sure, whatever ya say, Rip. Rip, this is one of me new girls, Jess. Jess, this is me guy, Rip Divenize. He just moved here from Harlem, so he could be closer to me," Spindle explained as she looped her arm through his.

"Hiya Rip," Jess squeaked as she shivered under his intense gaze. No one had ever looked at her that way before and she wasn't sure she liked it

Rip, on the other hand, slipped his arm out from under Spindle's and stepped forward to kiss Jess's hand. "Well, hello Miss Jess. I'm very glad to meet you," he drawled, emphasizing the word "very" before strutting back to Spindle's side.

Jess blushed as she spoke to Spindle. "Well, I'm going to go get me papes now. I'll be right back."

Spindle gave her a curt nod and stopped when she saw Jess scamper over to the line. "Rip, dear. What were you just playing at?," she hissed through her teeth, somewhat steaming over what he had just said to Jess.

Rip shrugged and turned his charming smile towards Spindle, though his eyes never left Jess. "I'm just trying to make some friends. When I came to live here, you said that I should make some friends."

Spindle scowled. "Friends sure, but I don't remember telling you to get yourself a girl, too. I thought that was me."

Rip reached over and gave her a kiss. "Don't worry doll, you is me girl. Now, I got to go. I'll see ya later, OK? Come see me at the boys' lodging house around seven," he added with a sad puppy dog look.

Spindle playfully pushed him away. "I'll see ya later, Rip. Oh, and one more thing, love: don't ever call me doll."


	4. Spindle

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Later that Day**

Jess was getting nervous. She had long since sold all of her papers, yet Spindle still insisted that she stayed with her until she left to see Rip that night. Yet, except for telling her that they should stay together, Spindle hadn't said anything to her at all. Jess decided to break the silence. "So, Spindle, how long have you known Rip?"

Spindle looked over at her, and, for the first time since Jess had known Spindle, smiled. "I've known Rip for two years now. I used to visit him in Harlem all the time and I'm so happy that he's going to be living here in Queens now," she said dreamily. The dreamy gaze lasted only seconds when Spindle grew rigid and stopped in her tracks. "Now, Jess, I'm glad that you're going to be part of our newsie gang but I got to tell you the number one now that you're a member. Another gal's man is off limits, especially the leader's guy. Ya understand me? Otherwise I'm going to have to kill ya, " she said, her emerald eyes boring a hole through Jess's green and gold ones, indicating that she was not joking.

"Sure, Spindle. That's no problem for me. I don't want none of your guys, 'specially Rip. I know that he's off limits." Jess said, confused at the look Spindle was giving her. Even though she had noticed the way Rip was acting around her that morning, Jess didn't think Spindle had anything to worry about.

Spindle, on the other hand, thought she did and was relieved when Jess answered her. "OK, well I got to go meet Rip down at the boy's lodging house about now, so I'll see ya early at the center tomorrow morning to carry the banner."

"Right, to carry the banner!" Jess replied, glad to be able to go back to the O'Connor's. She was genuinely puzzled about the day's events. As she made a left to get to the O'Connor's faster, she lost sight of Spindle as she sped off into the other direction, heading to the location of the boys' lodging house to see her guy. Continuing down the street, by herself, Jess started to think out loud about what Spindle might have been worried about. "Obviously she thinks that dear might be something between me and Rip, but I don't see how that could be. I mean, I just met the guy today. That ain't hardly enough time for Spindle to get jealous over."

"What, you don't believe in love at first sight, Miss Jess?" a vaguely familiar voice called out from directly behind Jess.

Jess stopped dead in her tracks and spun around. Like she thought, there was Rip, leaning against a brick wall, smoking a cigarette. "What are ya doing here? Spindle just left to meet you down at the boys' lodging house."

Taking one last drag of his cigarette, Rip tossed it on the ground and blew the smoke directly in Jess's face. "I know, but I rather talk to you right now, Miss Jess." He looked her up and down, taking in her blouse and skirt, and smiling appreciatively. "So what is a classy dame like you doing hanging around a bunch of street rats like us?" he asked walking up so that he was standing right next to her.

Jess, taken aback by his closeness, started to back away. As she shook her head in defiance, she answered his question. " I ain't no classy dame. I just got two guardians who work their bums off so that I got nice clothes to wear. They think that the suckers would rather buy papes from a nicely dressed girl instead of a dirty one."

Rip laughed huskily as he pressed closer to her. "Well, I happen to think you're a lot classier than some girls. And a lot prettier than some others," he whispered directly to her.

Jess was getting quite uncomfortable. "This is the leader's guy right here. Unless you want to die, get outta this situation, now!" she told herself as she fought down the urge to panic.

Rip, seeing her go tense, lifted his hand and stroked her cheek. "What do you say we go somewhere where we can get to know each other a little better, eh, Miss Jess?" he asked as he backed her into a wall with an arm on each side of her, staring straight into her eyes, awaiting her answer.

Jess definitely knew that something was wrong. "But, Rip, what about Spindle?" she asked shyly, trying to get out from under his arms without him realizing that was what she was doing.

Rip shook his head as he chuckled, but kept her pinned against the wall. "Sure, she was fun for awhile, but I'm out looking for someone new. That's why I came here to Queens. And, lucky me, I already found me new girl on me first day in the city. Can ya believe that?"

Jess, praying that he didn't mean her, asked, "Oh, really, do I know her?"

Rip leaned forward and kissed her gently square on the lips. "Does that answer your question? What do you say, Miss Jess? Will ya be me new girl?"

Jess paled. As Rip stood in front of her, pressing himself against her body, she thought about how to get out of the situation. It looked hopeless. All she wanted was to get home and forget about Rip and Spindle.

When Jess didn't answer him right away, Rip grew angry. "Jess, that really wasn't a yes or no question. Maybe you need a little something extra to make up your mind," he said, quite loudly, as he grabbed her forcefully and kissed her. It wasn't a gentle kiss but a rough one that told Jess she was in trouble no matter what. Either Spindle would hurt her for kissing her boyfriend or Rip would hurt her for not consenting to be his new girlfriend.

When Rip finally broke this kiss, he glared straight at Jess, daring her to refuse him. Fortunately for Jess, he had stopped pinning her against the wall. Before he could do anything, Jess swerved around him and took off running for the O'Connor's apartment.

Rip laughed hollowly as he watched his prospective new girlfriend run, her lovely locks floating behind her as she sped away from him. She would learn soon enough that she wouldn't be able to run from him. She would know that Rip always got what he wanted and right now he wanted Jess. "Mark my words, Miss Jess, you will be mine. Whether you are willing to be or not!"


	5. Run

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Running to the O'Connor's Apartment**

"I got to run. Just keep running!" she told herself as she ran faster than she ever had before. She shuddered as she thought of the problem she left behind her. Even after she had gotten away from Rip, she could still feel his lips on her and her arms were still red from where he had grabbed her.

"What am I going to do?" she cried out loud as she arrived at the O'Connor's apartment. Even though she had met Rip just that morning, she knew he was used to getting everything he wanted, including girls. "But, why does he want me? He don't even know me," she thought as she tried to catch her breath, still not able to shake the look he had given her.

Straightening her blouse and skirt before entering the apartment, Jess put on a phony smile and walked in the door. She sighed in relief when she saw that the O'Connor's had already gone to bed. Being the hard workers they were they usually went to bed early so they could wake up even earlier in the morning. On normal evenings Jess was home in time to eat dinner with the before they went to bed.

"Yeah, but this wasn't a normal night, was it?" she said to herself. She was glad that the O'Connor's were sleeping because it gave her a chance to sit and think before having to face anyone.

"O.K., so right now Spindle is dating Rip but Rip says he wants to date me. An' Spindle says if I look at her guy she's going to kill me. And", she thought, looking down at the matching bruises that were forming on both her right and left arm, "I already got two bruises from making Rip mad. What the heck am I supposed to do?" she wailed as she sat down on the sofa in the living room.

It didn't make matters any better that Rip was incredibly good looking and it flattered Jess to have Rip pay attention to her. But she knew what she had to do. "Tomorrow I going to tell Spindle what happened and that way she won't get mad at me. Who knows, then, maybe she'll break up with Rip and den I could date Rip and he won't get mad at me either," she decided, hoping that Spindle didn't take any anger out on her for trying to break them up. Because, though she tried to fool herself, that's definitely something she wasn't hoping for.

Jess put her head in her hands and started to cry. She was fooling herself if she thought Spindle wouldn't get angry with her. And Rip, she really didn't know anything about him. But she did know that he was violent when he wasn't getting his way; what had just happened between them had showed her that. Grabbing the end of her black skirt and using it to dry her eyes, Jess decided she would try to fix her predicament tomorrow, whether it got her in trouble or not. She worked too hard to be accepted into the newsies to have it be spoiled by some guy. Especially the leader's boyfriend.


	6. Tomorrow

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**At the Boys' Lodging House**

Spindle was livid. She had spent the last hour at the boys' lodging house waiting for Rip, yet he was nowhere to be found. As she sat on Rip's bunk, trying to ignore the looks some of the other guys were giving her, she began to worry. What if he was out with another girl? What if he was cheating on her while she waited for him like the good little girlfriend was supposed to?

Spindle was no fool, she had seen the looks Rip was giving Jess that morning at the distribution center. "Those were the same looks he gave me when we first met two years ago," she thought to herself. "I bet he picked Jess out to be his new girl. He better know, though, that I ain't going to let him go so easily." Spindle had given too much of herself to Rip, both physically and mentally, and no one, not even that pretty little goody goody, was going to take him away from her. She'd make sure of that.

"Hey, doll face. What's a perdy little thing like you doing here?" called an extremely tall guy with shaggy brown hair and hazel eyes as he walked into the bunkroom.

Spindle laughed to herself. "He must be new here." Before she started dating Rip, Spindle had spent many a lonely night in the company of any one of the luckier newsies at the lodging house. Though she had a reputation for being easy, it came no where close to the reputation she had as someone not to be messed with. "I think I'll show this oaf her why he shouldn't try that stuff with me."

Putting on the most seductive smile she could manage, Spindle strolled over to the guy. Obviously thinking that she had taken a liking to him, he began to smile at her. The smile was barely in place when Spindle whipped a pocketknife out of her shirt pocket, flipped it open and pressed it against his throat in one swift motion. "If you ever get the urge to call me 'doll face' again, I'm going to introduce you to me knife, personally," she whispered into his ear and smiled when he began to sweat.

Spindle walked back to Rip's bunk calmly as the other guys in the bunkroom cheered for her and poked fun at the guy, who, in the mean time, had sank onto the floor next to the door.

Rip chose that moment to come strutting into the bunkroom. He saw the guy on the floor near the door and gave him a snide look. "What are you doing down there, Danger?"

Spindle, a little cross that Rip did not say hello to her first, snickered upon hearing the oaf's name. "His name is Danger? I don't think the name quite fits."

Rip turned to face Spindle, who was still sitting on his bunk. Pasting a charming smile on his face he went to say hello.

Spindle sighed in relief when she saw Rip come walking up to her with a smile on his face. Even after two years of seeing his handsome face, Spindle still got butterflies in her stomach when Rip looked at her. When he strolled up to the bunk where she was sitting, she leaned forward to give him a kiss. She was surprised when he turned his head and her kiss landed on his cheek, but even more surprised when he turned his head back and said, "Hiya Spindle, what are you doing here?"

Spindle flushed with anger and stood to face Rip. "What do ya mean, Rip? You told me to meet you here at seven. Yet, it's after eight now. Where have ya been?" she asked jealously.

Rip looked at her and gave her a winning smile as he smoothly ran a hand through his thick black hair. "Spindle, I just lost track of the time, that's all. No need to worry about me."

Spindle could see right through his words. "Rip, I asked ya where you've been. Are ya going to tell me or not?" she said with her hands planted firmly on her hips.

Rip was quickly losing his patience. He suddenly remembered why he wanted a new girlfriend which in turn only made him angrier because it brought thoughts of Jess back to his mind.

He still couldn't get over the fact that Jess hadn't melted from his charms. All the toughest girls did when he turned his gaze on them, even Spindle. But the fact that Jess didn't only made him want her all the more. He had a plan that he was prepared to use if it came to it, but he hoped he wouldn't have to use force. Victory was sweeter when it was well- earned.

Suddenly aware that Spindle was still staring at him, waiting for him to answer her question, he realized that he would have to wait to work on his plan.

Turning to look at Spindle, his smile no longer on his face, Rip firmly replied, "That ain't none of your business, Spindle."

Not caring that she and Rip now had an audience, Spindle decided to take a wild stab in the dark. "You was with that tramp, weren't you?" She purposely didn't fill in a name because it would have made it more difficult to figure out if he was cheating on her. Spindle figured that if he was seeing another girl, her comment would offend him and he would tell her the name.

Rip, too smart to fall for her trap, but still pissed at her for implying that Jess was less than pure, turned his icy eyes on her. "The only tramp I know is you, Spindle," he said coldly. Nobody talked to Rip like that, nobody.

Spindle recoiled like she had been slapped, but, nonetheless, shot right back. "So which girl is it, Rip? Which girl am I going to have to get rid of to keep you?"

Rip, tired of the way the conversation was going, walked away from Spindle. "I'd recommend you going back to your lodging house now, Spindle. I'm tired and I'm going to bed. I'll see ya down at the distribution center tomorrow," he called over his shoulder, letting her know that they were through talking for the night.

Spindle softened her voice and said, almost pleadingly, "Rip, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it," as she ran over to him, threw her arms around him and began to kiss his neck.

Rip remained unmoved and broke free of Spindle's embrace. He didn't need her anymore. "I said good night, Spindle."

She knew he was angry at her and decided just to leave. It would be no fun sleeping with him that night anyway for Spindle was no longer in the mood. Well she was, she always was, but she wasn't going to tell him that. "Good night Rip. I guess I'll see you tomorrow," she said as she stormed out of the bunkroom, angry only at the girl who Spindle thought was taking her man away from her. "If I find out that he's fooling around with another girl, I will kill her. I'm the only gal for Rip and I'll make sure that everyone knows it," she vowed silently to herself.

As Rip watched Spindle leave, he grew even angrier. Who was she to try to boss him around like that? She may be the leader of all the newsgirls here in Queens, but Rip was the boss. He had let her know that the first day they had met. He did what he wanted when he wanted, and he just plain didn't care who he hurt in the way.

He sighed as he thought about Jess. She was just so different from the rest of the girls he had ever been with, and not only because she wasn't interested in him. Most of the girls he knew, including Spindle, were rough girls looking for a good time, but Jess didn't seem like that at all. She looked like a vision of innocence and that's what Rip was going to take from her. He smiled to himself as he thought of how he was going to make her see that they would be together forever (or until he got bored with her and went after another girl). He would break her and bend her and do whatever he wanted to her and she, too, would realize that he was the boss. And he would do it all tomorrow.


	7. Iris

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**At the ****Distribution********Center**

The next morning, Rip arrived early at the distribution center, hoping to talk to Jess before Spindle arrived. Unfortunately for Rip, Jess and Spindle arrived at the same exact time. Not in the mood to fight with Spindle so early in the morning, Rip bought his papers and headed off by himself. He would just have to find Jess later that night and make her see that she would be his after she had finished selling her papers.

Spindle grew angry as she watched Rip walk off by himself. She now knew that there must be someone else in his life because he had left the distribution center without even giving her a kiss hello. Deciding it would be smart to keep tabs on some of the girls until she could figure out who it was that Rip had eyes for, Spindle asked the most obvious girl to sell papers with her for the second time. She smiled when she heard Jess stutter her reply, "Sh-sh-sure Spindle. I'll sell with you again."

**Later that day**

Jess sneaked a look over at Spindle's expression. While Spindle had given her many openings in which she could have confessed to her about what had happened between Rip and Jess, Jess kept changing the subject. She was afraid for what Spindle might say; worse yet, for what Spindle might do. What if she didn't believe her and got angry and took it out on Jess?

"It's getting late. You got to tell her," Jess scolded herself. Building a firm resolve, Jess opened her mouth to tell Spindle about Rip's advances.

And she was promptly cut off when Spindle announced that it was late and she was heading back to the lodging house. "I'll see you tomorrow, Jess," she said with a disappointed note evident in her voice. She hadn't learned anything from Jess about Rip and his "mystery girl" the entire time they were out selling together.

Jess knew it was no good arguing with Spindle and reluctantly nodded. "O.K., tomorrow then," she said with a sad smile. "Why didn't I just tell her the truth? It ain't me fault that her boyfriend don't want her no more." But Jess knew why she chickened out of telling her. Everyone knew that Spindle always stayed true to her threats and Jess wanted to live to see tomorrow.

When Jess and Spindle reached the block where they went their separate ways, Jess headed off to the O'Connor's apartment. Promising herself that she would talk to Spindle the next day, Jess tried to think of happier things than her role in Rip and Spindle's relationship.

As she walked by the brick building that Rip had leaned against the day before, Jess sighed with relief to see that he wasn't there. She had been afraid that he might decide that he wanted to talk to her again and she really didn't want to have deal with that right now.

She continued walking, a little more bounce in her step now that she was free to think of other things, at least until tomorrow morning. Smiling for the first time since she had left the apartment yesterday morning, Jess kept walking, almost tasting the dinner Mrs. O'Connor would have waiting for her. She was so preoccupied with thoughts of what she would have to eat that she didn't notice a girl with glasses, whose hair was in braids, sitting at the end of the block in front of her, just passed a dark alleyway. As Iris waved at Jess, she got up to say hello and congratulations on being accepted into their elite group of Queens newsgirls.

Jess, still not seeing Iris at the end of the block, approached the alleyway in front of her, thankful that there was only two blocks to go until she reached the O'Connor's apartment. She was hungry and she couldn't wait to ask Mr. and Mrs. O'Connor how their days went, since she wasn't able to speak to them last night. Lost in her thoughts, she was startled and jumped when she heard a voice call out from the shadows.

"So, we meet again, Miss Jess."

Jess nervously smoothed her hair as she started to walk backwards, still heading in the direction of the O'Connor's, but not quite taking her eyes off the alleyway where a dark figure had just emerged. "Oh, hiya, Rip," she squeaked out.

Rip chuckled at her obviously nervous state as he sprinted up to her and wrapped her in a tight embrace. He held her close to his chest and put his lips right next to her left ear. "Come now, Jess, is that anyway to greet me?" he whispered in a deep voice.

Jess smiled weakly at him while remaining frozen in her position. "How the heck am I supposed to respond to that? What am I supposed to do?" she began to panic as her thoughts raced back and forth. Of course, the grip he had on her and the way she could feel his breath on her neck didn't make matters any easier.

Iris stopped mid-wave when she spotted Rip coming out of the shadows. Quickly ducking beneath a bush so that she could see and not be seen, she gasped in horror when she spied Rip and Jess standing by the edge of the alleyway, locked in a heated embrace. Praying that she could get out of there without either one of them knowing she was there, Iris crawled along the ground until she reached the corner. When she got to the corner she tore around it and headed straight to the girls' lodging house. Iris was in trouble. She had taken an oath to be loyal to the leader, her leader, Spindle, no matter what. But she couldn't turn Jess in. "What is I going to do" she wailed, as she kept running, trying to put as much distance between herself and the "happy" couple she had just seen together.

Meanwhile, Rip had not loosened his grip on Jess at all. He looked down upon her with something like lust in his eyes as he began to speak to her again. "Do you remember the conversation that me and you had last night?", he waited until he saw her stiffly nod her head, and he continued, "Well, I figured that I would be a nice guy and give you another chance to reconsider me offer."

Though she could still feel his eyes on her, Jess refused to give in and look back up at them. "I can't be with Spindle's guy, I just can't" she said to herself, trying to justify the answer that she was going to give Rip. If she ever was able to give it.

As it turned out, she didn't have to give her answer; Rip could tell by her silence that she still had not agreed to be his girl. Jess felt his body go tense and rigid and she let out a squeal of pain when the pressure of his grip on her tripled in intensity. "Ya know, there is an easy way to do this and a hard way. I had really hoped that we could have this the easy way. But, nooo. Well, now you forced me to have to teach you that I don't never take no for an answer." The flirtatious warmth was gone from his voice as an icy tone, which resulted in chilling her to the bone, replaced it.

Still holding tight onto her, Rip began to drag her deep into the dark alley so that no one would be able to see what he was going to do to her. To make sure that Jess didn't call any attention to them he brought out his insurance and placed it up against her smooth flesh.

Before Jess had even thought to open her mouth to scream for help she felt a piece of cool metal being pressed up against her cheek. Keeping the hand holding the switchblade steady, Rip whispered to her, "Now, since this is going to be our first time together, let's try to make it a memorable experience, eh, Miss Jess?"

She had let him lead her down the end of the dark alley before the meaning of what he was saying to her actually sunk in. When she realized what Rip was planning to do to her, Jess collapsed right onto the cold ground.

Rip grinned to himself as he took her position on the ground to be her consent. Laying the switchblade next to her head where she would be sure to see it, he began to lift up her long, black skirt. "See, Jess, I just love girls in skirts. They make things so much easier for me." As he began to unbutton his own shirt he leaned over so that his eager face was only inches away from her terrified one. "I'm only doing this to show you how much I like you," he whispered huskily as he leaned in to give her a kiss.

When she turned her head and his kiss landed in her hair, Rip grew angry. She was ruining their magical moment and he was not going to let her get away with that. He drew his hand back and slapped her across the face. Repeatedly. After the fifth slap, he looked down and saw a fine line of blood coming from the corner of her mouth, as she laid on the ground, crying softly, looking horrified at his actions.

He immediately regretted letting his temper get the best of him. "Jess, I'm sorry. But I'm doing this for us," he murmured as he stood up and started to unbutton his pants. He was genuinely sorry, but he needed to show her that he was the boss and this was the only way he knew how to.

The last image Jess saw before slipping into a state of unconsciousness was Rip shimmying out of his pants as he forcefully held her down with one hand.

When it was all over, Rip gently shook Jess awake. Leaning against the wall of the alley, he pulled her into a sitting position on his lap, resting her head against his bare chest. She slowly came to, feeling disoriented at first, but once the pain hit her like a sledgehammer, the memory of the event came flooding back.

Even though she was sitting up against a guy who had just finished raping her out of his twisted idea of "love", she held onto him for dear life as she curled up into a little ball and began to weep softly, trying to hide the fact that she was doing so from Rip. She didn't want him to know how violated and weak his one action had resulted in making her feel.

If there was one thing Jess hated, it was weakness.

Rip, aware that she was awake and equally aware that she was crying, held her tight as he tried to calm her down so she could see the beauty of the act they had just shared. Because, to him, it wasn't an act of violence, it was an act of love. "Jess, me dear, please don't cry. That was all for you, for me, for us. I love you."

"Love?! You don't even know what love is then, cause that sure ain't love! That's pain and force and cruelty but it ain't love!" Jess wanted to scream at him.

But she didn't. Instead she managed to croak out, "I love you, too, Rip." She didn't like getting slapped across the face.

Whether Rip noticed the lack of sincerity in her voice or not, it didn't matter, he just pulled her closer to him and kissed her gently on the forehead. "That's just what I wanted to hear. I'm glad you're finally seeing things me way, Miss Jess." He picked up his switchblade, that had laid forgotten next to Jess while she was passed out, and ran it gently across one of her bare thighs as he used his other hand to freely reach up her skirt and massage her other leg. "Cause I would hate for anything to happen to that pretty little head of yours," he said with an evil grin as he placed his switchblade in his back pocket. His grin widened when he felt Jess's petite frame shudder against his chest.

No doubt about it, she knew who the boss was now.


	8. Every

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Every Day**

And that's how it was from then on. Every day, Spindle would pick another girl out of the group and spend the entire day selling with her, pumping her for information on Rip and his "mystery girl" for she definitely knew that there was one even though no one admitted to knowing about her. One day she would go and sell with Mimic, then Dice, then Psyche, then Moneybags, then Spadey, then Corner, then Braces, then Tunes, then Snow Drop and then Grace. It was getting closer to Iris's turn and she was dreading it.

Every day, Iris would pray that Jess would explain to her what she had seen so that when it came for her to have her turn at talking to Spindle she wouldn't have to lie and could be completely honest, yet every day, Jess refused to speak to her. In fact, she was beginning to refuse to speak to anyone.

Every day, Spindle would visit Rip at the boys' lodging house, waving hello to her new friend, Danger, as he always remained on the opposite side of the room that she was on.

Every day, Rip would return from his day's business, not giving out any information of where he had been and telling Spindle that he was not in the mood to be intimate with her. She knew the only reason he didn't want to be intimate with her was because he had someone else he was seeing on the side.

And, every day, Spindle would try all the harder to find out who this "mystery girl" was.

Every day, Rip would grow further distant from Spindle, yet never ending their relationship, preferring to keep up the front that he and Spindle were happy. That way, no one had to ever know about the love he shared with Jess and how intimate they were. He had already made sure that she would never tell.

Every day, Rip would convince himself even further that Jess was his one true love and he would stop at nothing to keep her with him.

Every day, Jess would grow a little bit quieter, a little bit paler, a little bit thinner and a little bit more afraid as she went about her day, waiting for Rip to come for her, hoping that maybe, just once, he wouldn't hurt her.

And every day, like clockwork, Rip would come for Jess, after they had finished selling, for their "quality time" together.

Every day, he would force himself on her, beating her if she resisted, until the day when she just stopped resisting him.

Every day, he would hold her when he had finished and every day he would tell her how much he loved her as he laid with her, gently stroking her hair.

Every day, he would tell her he was only doing this to her because they were in love and that's what people in love did. That Jess should be lucky that she had someone who cared about her the way he did.

Every day, she would limp home when Rip allowed her to leave, after he reminded her what was at stake if anyone found out about their relationship.

Every day, she would lay in her bed, sobbing, knowing that if Rip loved her the way he said he did, he wouldn't put her through such torture.

Every day, Iris would pray that Spindle would pick someone else to sell papers with, instead of her. Her oath of loyalty to the leader would make her tell Spindle what she knew about Jess and Rip and she didn't want to have to do that. She happened to like Jess and didn't want to see her "make acquaintance" with Spindle's knife.

Every day, Jess's friends were growing a little bit more worried for their friend. They had known her when she was a vibrant, young, delightful girl and they knew her now. They knew something was wrong but every day Jess kept her silence.

Every day, the O'Connor's would try to get Jess to remember the happy times and every day they tried to get her to stop selling papers, because it was after work that she came home, every day, even more upset. And there was nothing they could do, because, every day, Jess insisted on going out to sell the papers.

If only they all knew that not only was it her life that Rip threatened every day, but it was her friends and the O'Connor's as well. That's what kept her coming back to him every day. Not the "love" that Rip insisted they shared. No, not at all.


	9. Spindle, II

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Two weeks later**

It had gotten to the point that the only person that heard Jess speak was Rip, and that was when she was pretending to moan and groan to keep him happy. And of course when he would say "I love you" she would have to reciprocate the feelings otherwise Rip would get angry. Jess didn't like to make Rip angry because the consequences were ugly. It had taken Jess two days to explain to the O'Connor's that she had gotten her black eye from walking into a wall the first time she ignored Rip's proclamations of love. She tried her hardest to keep Rip as happy as possible though it made her worse than miserable.

**At the ****Distribution********Center******

Then, one morning, Spindle strolled up to the distribution center, her eyes searching for a girl who might have some useful information for her about the "mystery girl". Her eyes landed on a girl with chin length brown hair with unusual hazel eyes. "Naw, I talked to Corner the other day and she didn't know nothing about Rip." Again she scanned the crowd, this time looking at a girl with glasses, brown hair and shiny braces. "Nope, talked to Braces already, too." She looked over at the group of three girls closest to her. "Let me see, naw, Grace, Moneybags and Tunes were about as clueless as Jess was." Right next to those three were a pair of girls gossiping merrily back and forth. "Psyche and Spadey, naw, they already told me all they knew, damn." Then she turned to face another clique, four girls this time, at the far end of the line. "Snow Drop, Yanchi, Quipster and Mimic are some of me best girls, they would have told me right away." Spindle said, trying to convince herself that all of her newsgirls were still extremely loyal to her.

Getting aggravated at the lack of newsies to question, Spindle rested her eyes on another pair of girls, over at the edge of the distribution center's gate. "Well, I talked to Dice yesterday," she said to herself as she stopped to look at the first girl, the one with shoulder length brown hair, that was showing the second girl a trick with playing dice, "but I don't think I've spent a selling day talking to Iris yet," she smiled as she looked at the girl with braided hair who was laughing while watching her best friend show her the new tricks she had just learned.

Whether by accident or just pure luck, Iris had evaded having to sell the morning papers with Spindle ever since the night that she had witnessed Jess and Rip's "cozy" moment. But she could hide no longer when Spindle pointed regally at her and asked, "Iris, would you like to sell papes with me today?"

Iris could tell by the tone of her voice that it was an order and not a request, so she reluctantly nodded. "Dice, I guess I'll see you later," she told her friend, her voice quivering slightly.

Dice squeezed her arm for moral support. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. Just tell her that you don't know nothing and you'll be fine. Promise," she whispered back, trying to avoid looking at Spindle.

Iris nodded weakly as she got in line to buy her papers. "If only I didn't know nothing," she said wistfully as she sneaked a look over at Jess. She was standing all the way at the edge of the crowd, all by herself, nervously looking over her shoulder ever few seconds. Iris could only wonder who or what she was looking out for.

"Could it be Rip?" Iris asked herself before shaking her head. "Naw, those two looked so happy that other day." Besides, Iris hadn't seen Jess and Rip together at all since that night. Maybe it was just a one time thing that Iris had spied. And, Iris told herself for the twentieth time since that night, she was on the opposite side of the street when she saw them. For all she knew, it could have been two different people entirely. "I probably just had seen two other people, not even them. Yup, that's what I seen."

Anyway, no matter who it was out there that she had seen, Iris knew that Spindle had spread the warning out to all the girls that when Rip arrived, he was hands-off or else. Nobody could be that stupid to go after Spindle's guy for they all knew that Spindle meant business when she said she would kill anyone that went after her boyfriend. Sighing to herself, Iris paid for her stack of papers and went off to sell with Spindle, dreading the moment when Spindle would mention her boyfriend.

After about two hours of heavy duty paper selling, Spindle decided it would be the perfect opportunity to pump Iris for information on Rip.

"So, Iris. I haven't really had a chance to talk to you in awhile. I just have been so busy with Rip and all." Spindle tried to introduce his name slyly into the conversation, seeing what Iris' initial reaction would be.

Though her stomach plummeted at the mention of his name, Iris tried to keep her expression the same. "Oh, is that so? How is he? Does he like Queens?"

Spindle's eyes lit up when she saw Iris flinch at the mention of Rip's name. "She might just be the one girl who knows something," she thought to herself, trying to plan a strategy that would get Iris to tell her exactly what she wanted to know.

"Well, I know for sure that he likes one thing in Queens. Or should I say, one girl. And ya know what, Iris, I don't think that's me any more." Not being one for subtlety, Spindle decided to just come right out and tell Iris what information she was looking for.

Iris gulped. "What do ya mean, Spindle?"

Spindle gave her an eerie smile. "Oh, I think you know what I mean, me friend."

Not meeting her eyes, Iris tried to hide her knowledge from Spindle. "I don't know you're talking about. Honest."

Spindle, tired of playing games when all she wanted was a straight answer, reached in her shirt pocket and grabbed her knife. Instead of putting it close to Iris's throat as a direct threat like she had done to Danger, she proceeded to toss it from hand to hand, making sure that Iris could see what she was doing. "Ya know, I really think you do."

Iris's knees buckled when she saw Spindle take out her knife, but her resolve stayed in tact. "I can't rat out me pal. But what can I do?" In a flash of brilliance, the kind that always comes under immense pressure, Iris knew what she could do. "O.K., O.K., you got me. I really didn't want to tell you this, because mind you, I ain't too sure, but I think I saw Rip with another girl," she blurted out, quickly covering her head with her arms so she wouldn't be hurt in Spindle anger fall out.

Surprisingly, Spindle said nothing at first, though she still continued to finger her blade. "That's nice to know, Iris. Why didn't you tell me before?" she said way too sweetly for someone who just received word that their boyfriend might be cheating on them.

Iris cowered under the sweetness; Spindle's phoniness was worse than the anger that Iris had expected. "Well, ya see, I ain't sure that was Rip. And I didn't want to worry you 'til I was sure."

Still speaking with a sugar-coated tone of voice, Spindle stopped walking and faced Iris. "Are you sure now?"

"Naw, I just think that it was him. But I don't know for certain," Iris said, trying to take a breath, but finding that her throat had seemed to close up.

Spindle decided that was enough of being Miss Nice Guy. Taking a step right into Iris's face, Spindle placed her knife against Iris's throat, gently so not to cut her, but putting a drop of pressure on it so that Iris knew it was there. "O.K., well, what I need you to tell me is -- who was the tramp he was with then?" she hissed, her emerald eyes flashing.

Highly aware that Spindle had her faithful knife against her throat, Iris continued to keep her silence. There was no way she could turn Jess in when she didn't know any of the details of what had happened. "I honestly don't know Spindle. All I saw was a tall guy with black hair holding a girl with brown hair in his arms. I only saw a glimpse of his face and I think it was Rip. I never even saw the face of the girl at all. I swear..." she finished, her voice barely audible. Silent tears began to stream down her face but she nevertheless kept her eyes on the knife in Spindle's hand.

Satisfied that was all that Iris knew, Spindle nodded and neatly folded her pocketknife back up. "Thanks Iris, I owe you one for the heads up. See you later." After placing her knife back in her shirt pocket, Spindle started to walk towards the boys' lodging house, leaving Iris behind.

Iris, still crying, sat down and tried to calm herself down. Though she was scared out of her mind, she congratulated herself for not breaking down and telling Spindle the entire truth. She had no doubt in her mind ,that if Spindle found out that it was Jess who was locked in an embrace with Rip, that Spindle's knife wouldn't just be placed upon Jess's throat. It would be slitting it open.


	10. Mine

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**At the Boys' Lodging House**

Spindle held her head high as she stalked towards the boys' lodging house. Now that she had heard from one of her girls that Rip was with someone new, all Spindle wanted to do was confront Rip and find out who it was. As she arrived at the lodging house, she ignored the catcalls from some of the newsies that were hanging around the porch and marched straight inside, heading towards the bunkroom.

When she entered the bunkroom, Spindle found it empty save one person. As she strolled inside, she laughed in spite of herself when the tall guy in the bunkroom shrank away from her. "What a perfect opportunity for me. I'm sure that he probably knows something and I think I can get him to tell me."

Turning her eyes on him and giving him a "come hither" smile, Spindle approached the hulking figure. "Danger, me friend. How've you been? Long time, no talk, eh?"

Danger nodded quickly as his eyes remained on the pocket where he knew Spindle kept her knife. "Hiya Spindle. I'm good, you?"

"I'm good too, Danger. But right now I got to talk to you. It's kind of important. So, what do you know about Rip and his 'friend'?' she added with another of her seductive smiles. She walked over to Danger, where he was leaning against his bunk. Though he backed away when she had first started to walk towards him, he looked at her eagerly when she threw her chest out and pouted her lips. Raising her arm she brought it to his face and slowly stroked his cheek. "Is there anything you want to tell me, Danger? Hmmm?" she whispered in his ear as she blew on his neck.

Once Spindle decided to charm a man, they never stood a chance. Danger was no exception. Getting incredibly turned on by her closeness, he began to grow nervous and lose his train of thought. "I'll tell you anything you want to know, me dear," he said, a hungry look in his hazel eyes as he stared down at Spindle.

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear, Danger," she purred as she ran her fingers lightly up and down his arms, enjoying getting him to do what she wanted him to do, "Now, could you tell me about this girl that Rip is seeing? I'm sure he's told you all about her. I mean, you're so big and brave and strong and handsome..." she said in a husky voice, laughing inwardly as Danger began to glow with pride at her flattering words. "People are so easily manipulated...," she sighed to herself as she waited for Danger to answer her.

Danger may have been big and brave and strong and handsome, but he sure wasn't smart. Unaware that Spindle was only using him to find out who Rip was seeing now, he told her all he knew. "Well, Spindle, Rip don't really talk to us guys about that kind of stuff. Whenever we ask, he says that it's his business and only his business. But he's always talking about you when he's around and no one is bugging him so he's free to talk," he said as he began to play with her long red hair.

Moving her hair out of reach of Danger's large, clumsy fingers, Spindle looked up at Danger with a genuine smile on her face. "He talks about me? What does he say, if I can ask?"

Danger, mildly surprised when she moved out of his reach, shook his head slightly and answered her question. "Oh, he just talks about you all the time. He's always saying how much he loves and can't live with out his 'li'l Miss'."

Spindles tensed and her eyes flashed. "What does he say?" she hissed.

Danger broke out of his trance when Spindle hissed at him. A frightened look came over his face when he realized that he may have said something to upset her. "Ummm... he just says how much he loves and can't live with out his 'li'l Miss'. That is you ain't it?" he said a lot more quietly as his eyes kept flickering towards her shirt pocket.

Spindle saw red as something she heard weeks ago came flooding back into her head. _"Well, hello Miss Jess. I'm very glad to meet you."_ "No, Danger, I don't think he's referring to me," she said, without emotion, as she walked over to sit on Rip's bunk. "I'm just going to sit here 'til he gets back tonight. Do you think you can keep the rest of the guys outta here 'til I talk to him?" she asked as she reached into her shirt pocket and took out her pocketknife to examine it.

"Sure, no problem. I'll keep them all outside," Danger squeaked out upon seeing Spindle taking her knife out. He never wanted to see that knife again. He swiftly left the room, shutting the bunkroom door behind him.

Spindle threw herself down on Rip's bunk, waiting for him to come back to the lodging house. She couldn't wait to confront him and find out if he really was seeing Jess behind her back.

As it turned out she didn't have long to wait. About ten minutes after Danger left her alone in the bunkroom, Spindle heard someone storming up the stairs. Upon hearing the clamoring footsteps on the stairs, Spindle stood up and compulsively straightened her shirt, prepared to face Rip.

Rip, whose mood was quite pleasant after spending the evening with Jess, was furious after listening to most of the newsies complain about being thrown out of the bunkroom. Almost knocking Danger over, he opened the bunkroom door and slammed it upon entering. Shooting daggers with his eyes, he turned to face Spindle. "What the heck do you want?"

Spindle was not going to back down until she knew what was going on. "You know why I'm here, Rip. You're cheating on me, ain't you?"

Rip looked her straight in the eye and laughed. He wasn't going to tell her anything; that was just between him and Jess. "Now, where did you get an idea like that? Of course not, doll. I told you, you're the only girl for me."

Spindle glared at him as her eyes flashed when she heard the word "doll" but overlooked it for something more important. "You're a liar, Rip. I know for a fact that you're cheating on me, and I even know who you're spending your evenings with, especially since I know it ain't me."

Rip, though he wasn't much of a card player, would be an excellent poker player because he had one of the best poker faces around. "Well, why don't you tell me who this lucky girl is, considering I, myself, sure don't know?"

It was Spindle's turn to laugh haughtily. "You think that you're so smart, but you ain't. Let me just ask you, is Jess really that better than me? Because I sure know that she ain't got any of the experience that I got. How can you prefer her over me? I just don't understand."

Rip became incredibly furious though he still kept his true emotions masked. "Sorry Spindle, but I don't know what you're talking about. Me and your li'l friend, Jess? Why would I go for her when I got someone like you here with me?" he said quietly as he looped his arms around her and drew her in for a long kiss.

Spindle sighed with relief when she and Rip pulled apart. Laying her head on his shoulder she whispered,"I'm sorry for doubting you Rip, I love you."

"Uh-- yeah, me too, Spindle. Me too," he told her. He just couldn't bring himself to tell her that he loved her when he honestly didn't, but Spindle didn't seem to mind that he didn't reciprocate the l-word back to him.

As Spindle held tight to Rip, just glad that he was there with her now, Rip stood there as angered coursed throughout his body. "I can't believe she told Spindle. I warned her what would happen if she opened her mouth to anyone and she went and told Spindle. I'm going to have to teach her another lesson. She knows what happens when I get mad yet she always insists on testing me. If it wasn't for the fact that I love me li'l Miss with all me heart, I would really have to hurt her..."


	11. Change

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**The ****Queens**** Newsgirls' Lodging House**

It was getting late and Dice was getting worried as she paced back and forth in the lobby, waiting for Iris to come in. As every minute passed, she could only wonder what Iris and Spindle were doing out; they had been out selling together far longer than Spindle had been with any of the other girls. Though Dice didn't know what it was that Iris had seen that night a few weeks ago, she knew it was bad because she had returned to the lodging house shaking. Ever since then Iris had changed the subject whenever anyone mentioned Spindle, Rip or Jess. "I wonder if she knows why Spindle's acting so overprotective of her relationship with Rip? Hmmm..." Dice let her thoughts wander as she walked up the stairs and entered the bunkroom to see if Iris had sneaked by when she wasn't watching. She stopped short when she noticed that the other girls that were in for the night had grouped together at the far end of the bunkroom, whispering amongst themselves.

Corner, noticing that Dice had entered the bunkroom, motioned for her to join them.

Dice hurried over just in time to hear Quipster say, "Ya know what, Grace, you're right. I noticed it too."

"What did you notice, Quip? What are you guys talking about?" Dice asked, trying to find out what they were talking about while she was waiting downstairs.

"Shhh! Not so loud, Dice. Do ya want to have Spindle hear you?" Yanchi said, a little fearful, quickly looking around to see if Spindle was around.

"Where's your brain at, Yanchi? You know that Spindle won't be here for awhile yet," Mimic said, trying to calm her down.

Corner, ignoring the exchange between Yanchi and Mimic, turned to face Dice. "We was just talking about a change that has come over one of our girls."

When the puzzled look on Dice's face stayed there, Quipster sighed. "Don't tell me that you haven't noticed it."

Trying to help Dice out, Tunes piped up. "Maybe not, considering that she don't live here with us and Dice is always too busy playing with her dice to notice what's going on down at the distribution center in the morning."

Dice finally understood who they were discussing. "Are you girls talking about Jess?"

"Ding, ding. We've got ourselves a winner!" Quipster quipped sarcastically while rolling her eyes.

"That was a good one, Quip!" Moneybags said as she burst into a fit of giggles. She stopped when Grace shot her a warning look.

"Not now, MB. Like we were saying, there is something really wrong with Jess. She's changed so much in these past few weeks and I'm getting worried," Grace said as she nervously played with her blonde hair.

Snow Drop spoke up. "I don't know why you're so worried, Grace. She seems fine to me."

Spadey gave her an unbelievable look before opening her mouth to add her two cents. "What, are you kidding me Snow Drop? I ain't heard Jess talk to anyone since the day that she sold with Spindle, an we all know that she ain't naturally quiet like that."

"Spadey's right. Grace too. I think that something's wrong, I just ain't sure what," Psyche added.

Quipster opened her mouth but thought better of it when she heard someone thundering up the lodging house stairs. "Hey, Mimic, what time did you say that Spindle'll get back, tonight?" she fiercely whispered. The last thing they needed was to arouse Spindle's suspicion that something was up by having her walk in the middle of their secret pow wow.

Before Mimic had a chance to reply, someone came bursting through the bunkroom door. But it wasn't Spindle, it was--

"Iris, what happened to you?" Dice cried out as she ran over to hug her friend, closely followed by the rest of the girls.

Iris, her eyes still red from crying and her neck covered with a fine trail of blood from where Spindle had rested her knife and nicked the skin, gladly accepted Dice's hug. "Oh, girls. You don't know how glad I am to see you."

Quipster, the unofficial leader when Spindle wasn't around, got prepared to go after Iris's attacker. "Who did this to you, Iris? We'll go soak them for you."

Iris let out a snort as she looked over at Quipster's defensive stance. "I don't think that'll be a good idea, Quipster. It was Spindle."

"It don't matter, we'll-- What?! It was Spindle? Our Spindle?" Quipster said in shock.

As all the girls began to mumble amongst themselves, Iris slowly nodded her head. "It was real weird. One second we were selling our papes and then she starts asking me all these questions about Rip. I told her I don't know anything but she kept pestering me, waving her knife in me face. So I told her that I saw Rip with another girl a few weeks back. I was afraid to tell her but I finally did. But she wasn't mad then. She got mad when I told her that I didn't know who the girl was. She got real mad and put her knife to me throat, but it did no good, because I still didn't know. Finally she just said thanks and left. I sat on the street in shock until one of the Bulls asked me if I needed help, then I got up and ran back here."

The other girls stood there in shock. They all knew how Spindle was when it came to Rip, so they had no problem at all believing that what Iris said had happened had, in actuality, happened.

Corner was the first one who was able to say something. "Rip is cheating on Spindle? But...but...but I don't understand. There ain't a girl in Queens who would be dumb enough to go after Spindle's guy. And everyone knows that Rip is Spindle's guy."

Yanchi nodded. "I know what ya mean, Corner. Are you sure that you ain't seen the girl?" she asked. Maybe Iris was too afraid to tell Spindle, but that didn't mean she couldn't tell her friends.

But Iris was no fool. She knew that some of the girls present in the bunkroom would race to be the one to tell Spindle the news if she let it spill. Shaking her head sadly, she replied, "Sorry, Yanchi. But I honestly didn't see the face of the girl that he was with. Besides, I only saw them together once and I still ain't sure that that was Rip." She kept her gaze in front of her, neatly avoiding Dice's eyes. Dice could always tell when she was lying.

Even though Iris said that looking at Psyche and Snow Drop, Dice could hear the lie spilling out of Iris's lips. "What's up with her? What is it that she knows?" she thought to herself as she saw a similar confused expression on Grace's face.

Anxious to get out of the line of questions from the other girls, Iris pretended like she needed to go back downstairs to pay her lodging fee. "I'll be right back, girls."

As she quickly left the bunkroom, both Dice and Grace slipped out after her. When they reached the lobby, Dice called out, "Iris, wait. We need to talk to you."

Iris jumped when she heard Dice call her name; she had thought that she was the only who had left the bunkroom. "Geez, Dice, don't do that!" she cried as she playfully slapped Dice on her cheek.

Dice smiled sheepishly. "Sorry Iris, I didn't mean to scare you."

Grace cut in. "But I do think that we got to talk to you."

Iris flushed. She had expected someone to question her. "What's up, Grace?"

"Now, for some reason, I don't believe that you don't got no idea who it is that Rip is fooling around with. So why don't you just come clean with us. I won't rat you out, promise," Grace said as she made a cross motion over her heart.

Iris shot a look over at Dice who nodded. Realizing that they weren't going to let her off the hook until she told them the truth, Iris slumped her shoulders. "Man, you girls are good. You're right, I did see the girl that Rip was with but I didn't want to get her in trouble until I got the chance to talk to her about it." She paused, not really wanting to tell Grace and Dice.

Grace gasped out loud as she realized something that she had not noticed before. "I think I know who the girl is. 'Tis Jess, ain't it?" she said as she covered her mouth in surprise. When Iris didn't answer her, she knew she was right. "It is, isn't i?. I knew it. No wonder she changed so much."

Dice looked over at Iris. "Are ya kidding me, Iris? Jess is fooling around with Rip and you didn't tell me?" she cried, feeling hurt that her friend had kept it from her for so long.

Iris, a panicked look crossing her face, quickly hushed Dice. "Dice, shhh! I don't want Spindle to find out. Ya know what'll happen to Jess if she finds out right?"

Grace and Dice exchanged horrified looks. They knew exactly what Spindle would do. "Don't worry, we ain't going to tell Spindle at all," Dice squeaked out.

"Ya know what though, I thought it was weird that all of a sudden Jess wasn't talking to no one. Now that I know why, it makes a lot of sense. I feel so bad for her but I don't know what she must be thinking. That's it. Tomorrow I'm going to tell her that I'm coming to live with her at the O'Connor's. That way, maybe, I can find out what she thinks she's doing," Grace announced to the two girls, firmly making up her mind about what she was going to do.

Iris nodded. "That sounds like a good idea to me. Maybe we can get her to stop before Spindle finds out."

They didn't want to see what would happen if Spindle found out.


	12. Glorious

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**At the O'Connor's**

Jess shielded her eyes as the sunlight poured in through her bedroom window. "Once again, another glorious morning," she groaned as she slowly stretched and got out of bed. "Oww..." she moaned to herself as she looked herself over for any new bruises that Rip may have inflicted on her during their "quality time". After putting on her white blouse and Rip's favorite skirt, Jess slowly walked into the kitchen, her legs so sore she had to stop after every other step to try and dull the pain.

"If only I could just stay home today," she whimpered to herself, like she did every day. But she knew that, like every day since she had met Rip, she had to go out and sell and meet Rip in "their" alley, otherwise Rip would get mad. She did anything she could to keep him from getting mad.

"Good morning, Mrs. O'Connor," she said as she straightened up and tried to ignore the pain. She couldn't let her know that anything was wrong.

Mrs. O'Connor, noticing Jess's wince as she entered the kitchen, just gave her a sad smile. "How are you this morning, Jess?"

"I'm good, thank you. I'm kind of late, though. If I'm not home before you go to sleep tonight, I will see you tomorrow morning," she said as she grabbed a roll out of the bread basket and headed out the door.

"But-", the elderly woman started and sighed as she watched Jess leave the kitchen. "I should have just told her she had to stay home. I am her guardian, after all. Where does that child go after work, anyways?" she wondered out loud. She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

Jess sighed as she began to walk towards to the distribution center. She was relieved that Mrs. O'Connor hadn't pressed the subject again like she had other days. She couldn't tell her what was going on no matter what. Rip would kill her if she did.

As she continued making her way to the iron gates she knew so well, she looked down at the half-eaten roll in her hand and tossed it towards a bunch of pigeons on the street. Just the mere thought of Rip was enough to churn her stomach and make her lose any appetite she had.

She walked the rest of the way trying her damndest to think of anything other than Rip. She had a good 10 hours or so before she would have to meet up with him and she didn't want to feel nauseated for the entire day. Her entire body involuntary shuddered as she thought about what she would have to do with Rip later that day. "If only, just once, I could spend the entire day with out worrying when he was going to find me," Jess pleaded with a higher power as she turned the corner and approached the distribution center. She laughed bitterly to herself when she saw that neither Spindle nor Rip were hanging around the center yet. "Naw, I couldn't be that lucky," she said harshly as she got on the line to buy her papes, trying to avoid making eye contact with any of the other newsies that had already arrived at the distribution center.

Jess was too afraid to talk to anyone for fear that Rip would get mad. Rip had established early on in their relationship that she was to be his and his alone. That meant that the only person she could talk to was him. It had been weeks since she had talked to any of her friends and she felt guilty. Jess could only hope that, if Rip ever grew tired of her and left her alone, her friends would still be around. But, as the way things were at that moment, all she could do was wait quietly on the line, using her long curls to hide her face from the other girls.

Thinking that she would make it through the day without having to ignore any of her friends, her shoulders sagged when she heard a feminine voice, for the first time in weeks, call out her name.

"Jess!" Grace called out as she walked over to Jess's place in the line, Dice and Iris following close behind her.

Pasting a phony smile on her face, Jess looked up. "Hiya girls, long time, no see," she tried to joke.

Iris gasped as she stood face to face with Jess. Even with a plastic smile positioned firmly on her face, Iris could see a massive change in Jess's physical characteristics. Her eyes had lost their warmth and her cheeks had sunken into her face. Her face had lost it's shine and Iris could see faint bruises spattered all over neck and arms. The other girls could hardly believe the difference a few weeks had made in their friend.

Though taken aback at first by her appearance, Grace remembered what she was there to say. "So, Jess, how've you been?" she asked, trying to start up a friendly conversation.

"I'm good, Grace." she whispered in reply.

"Is there something you want to tell us?" Dice asked gently, looking straight into Jess's sorrow-filled eyes.

"Now, where did you girls get that idea. I'm fine!" Jess answered a bit too quickly, her voice getting unnaturally high towards the end of the sentence.

Grace grew alarmed at the way that Jess was acting. Deciding to cut to the chase she told Jess about her plans. "Jess, I just wanted to let you know that I've decided to come live with you at the O'Connor's for a little bit."

Jess looked up in surprise. "Naw, Grace. I don't think that would a good idea," she said as she began to panic. What would Grace think when she came home at night, all battered and bruised and sore. Surely, she would know that something was up when Jess would go to bed sobbing at night.

But Grace stood firm. "Well, I'll tell you now. I visited Mrs. O'Connor this morning before me and Iris and Dice came down to the distribution center and she told me that she would love to have me stay over for awhile."

Jess started to reply but stopped suddenly when she saw something over Grace's shoulder that made the words die on her lips. Dice and Iris exchanged a look as a frightened expression spasmed across Jess's face. "What's over there?" their look seemed to ask, but neither girl wanted to actually look and see who it was.


	13. Temper

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**At the Boys' Lodging House**

Rip awoke suddenly, a throbbing pain in the right side of his head. As he brought his hand up to massage his temple, he looked around at all of the slumbering newsboys in the lodging house. Since there was at least another hour before they had to wake up to meet at the distribution center, Rip was the only one awake in the bunkroom. Though he felt like he had just fell asleep - it was late into the night before Spindle finally gave him a kiss goodbye and left - he was wide awake.

Still rubbing his right temple, Rip wondered why his head hurt so much. All at once it came flooding back - the anger, the betrayal, the plan. After hearing from Spindle that Jess had spilled the beans, Rip had became furious and hurt that she had betrayed his wishes of keeping her silence about their relationship. He, once more, needed to teach his "li'l Miss" a lesson. Though he spent the night with Spindle trying to reassure her that their relationship was still intact, he came up with a plan of how he was going to make Jess pay for opening her mouth to his girlfriend.

Once his headache passed, Rip got out of his bunk and grabbed his light blue shirt and threw it on over his white undershirt. After he buttoned it up, he pulled on his black pants but left his suspenders hanging at the side. He was in too much of a rush to worry about minor details.

He walked quietly over to the water pump and splashed some water on his face before walking out of the bunkroom. He had to make sure he got to the distribution center before Spindle did.

On normal days he strolled over to the distribution center at his own pace and then went and sold on his own. That way he was able to take off and find Jess when it was time.

But today was different. He had to get there early because, for the first time, he was going to take someone to sell with him -- and it wouldn't be Spindle.

He whistled to himself as he strutted down the street to the distribution center. As he turned the corner, he stopped abruptly when he saw a bunch of girls on line to buy their papers. But it wasn't the fact that there was a bunch of girls talking together; it was the fact that **_Jess_** was in the middle of the gossip circle.

Before he could control his temper and calm down, Rip stormed over to her, his blue eyes flashing black. If she was foolish enough to tell Spindle, she may just be blabbing about him to all of her little newsie friends.

He chuckled inwardly when he saw the terrified look on Jess's once-angelic-but-now-hardened face upon spotting him walk towards her. "At least she still understands that I'm the boss."

Rip slowed his frenzied walk to a pleasurable stroll as he suppressed his anger in front of her friends. After nodding his salutations to the three other girls surrounding her, he set his eyes on Jess. "Hi there, Jess, is it?" he said, feigning ignorance, as he extended his hand.

"Yeah, that's me," she whispered as she shakingly extended her own hand and flinched when she felt the pressure of Rip's grip when they shook.

"Since Spindle ain't here yet, how about me and you sell together until she shows up, eh?" he said, sounding friendly. At least Dice, Grace and Iris thought he sounded friendly; Jess knew from his tone of voice that it wasn't a request.

Trying as hard as she could not to let her fear show, Jess nodded. He had never approached her in a public place in front of people they knew before and Jess was quite nervous to find out what was so important that he had to see her now. She was wagering that it wasn't anything good.

Checking once more that Spindle hadn't arrived at the distribution center, Rip gave the girls a winning smile. "That's great. Let's go," he smirked as he grabbed hold of her arm and brought her to the front of the line, ignoring the dirty looks the other newsies were giving him.

After buying two small stacks of papers as a front, Rip continued to lead Jess far from the crowd of newsies. She let out a small squeak and ducked Rip's evil smile when she realized that he was leading her towards the dark alley where he knew no one would find them. After all, he had brought her there everyday for the past three weeks and no one had noticed what they had done there yet.

Once they turned into the alley, Rip turned to face Jess. He bent over her and gave a quick kiss on her lips. "It's lesson time Miss Jess, and I get to be the teacher," he whispered in her ear and let out a short laugh when he saw her face lose the little color it had.

Jess, a fearful look in her eye, looked up at Rip, questioning what his words meant.

"'Remember, I'm only doing this cause I love you" he said as he drew back his hand and...


	14. Silence

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

... let it fall directly across her face. Jess fell against the brick wall, her body thrown off-balance with the force of his blow.

"Get up," he whispered menacingly at her, ignoring the blood trickling from her split lip.

Jess knew better than to ignore him so she stood and faced him, straight-backed and proud. Even though tears welled up in her eyes, she refused to give Rip the satisfaction of seeing her cry. This was a normal occurrence in their relationship. Rip got mad at someone, hit her around a few times then forced her to make love to him to show her how sorry he was for hitting her in the first place. "Pain is only something that's made up in your mind. If you don't think about it, it ain't going to hurt," she repeated to herself constantly as she accepted his blows.

As each blow fell across her face, Jess took it without saying a word. She was just wondering what it was that had gotten Rip this mad, this time.

Meanwhile, Rip was getting more and more infuriated. Here he was trying to teach her a lesson and she wasn't doing anything except taking the hits. She was supposed to break down and cry and say she was sorry and beg for his forgiveness. Then they would lie together and express their love for one another. She was not supposed to enjoy "learning her lesson". Desperate to show her how angry he was, Rip grabbed her head and slammed it into the brick wall.

The final blow succeeded in breaking Jess's spirit. After being beaten repeatedly by Rip for the last few weeks she had developed a thick skull. Though she remained conscious, she hurled herself at the ground and clasped her head with her right hand, using her left hand to keep her steady against the dirt. Without even looking up at Rip, Jess looked down at the hand that she had held her head with. When she saw that it was covered in sticky blood, she vomited by the side of the alley and tried to crawl away from him.

"Get up, Jess," Rip said, a quavering note in his voice. He knew he had a temper but he never wanted to use it to really hurt her. He pushed the pity out of his mind when he noticed that she had not gotten up; better yet, she was still crawling towards the entrance of the alley.

"I said 'Get up'!!" he cried as he ran in front of her and picked her up by her wrists. Dragging her to her feet, he threw her up against the brick wall. He slapped her across the face once and then grabbed her face forcefully. When she had stopped squirming, Rip kissed her roughly, ignoring her tears.

He pulled away from her and prepared to strike her again. He stopped for a second when he saw her flinch and try to duck her head from his hand. He looked at her beaten, bloody face mingled with tears where a black eye was already beginning to bloom and dropped his balled-up fist.

Pulling her close to his chest, ignoring the fact that her blood was staining his shirt, he threw his arms around her and being to sob himself. "I'm so sorry, Jess but you had to go and tell Spindle. I warned you that this would happen," he whispered as he stroked her hair, which resulted in Rip covering his own hand with her blood.

Even though she felt like she was going to die and Rip's words sent confusing messages to her brain, Jess responded to his hug, just relieved that he had gotten enough of hitting her for the day. "Rip, all I can say is that I didn't tell anyone, especially Spindle. Honest. But please, can I sit down? Please?" she whispered weakly, feeling dizzy because of the blood that was seeping out of the cut on her head.

Still sobbing, letting his tears fall onto her damp curls, Rip led her to the ground, pulling her onto his lap. As she settled onto his lap, he felt all of her weight falling to his left side. Wiping his eyes so as not to look weak, preferring to keep his tough guy image in her eyes, Rip looked down to reply, only to see that she had passed out. As he felt tears of remorse spring back to his eyes, he held her close and sat with her as she slumbered.


	15. Protection

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Later that Day**

Later that day, when Jess finally regained consciousness, her body jerked when she saw that she was still tightly enclosed in Rip's arms as he slept. Moving slowly and quietly so as not to wake him, she wiggled out of his grasp and pulled herself over to the opposite side of the alley. Looking out in the direction of the main road, Jess could see that it was getting late. The sun was no longer shining; it must've been right about the time that it was setting.

Taking a kerchief out of her pocket, Jess tied it over her hair, partially trying to disguise the bruises and blood that she knew must have overtaken her face. Trying to put as much distance between herself and the alley where she had just left Rip, she focused on solely trying to make it back to the O'Connor's apartment alive. She knew that she must have lost a lot of blood from where Rip had smashed her head against the brick wall and her head, her poor head, felt like it was going to fall off. She just wanted to get home to tend to her injuries.

Though she knew that Rip would be angry for her leaving him alone in that alley, she just plum didn't care at that moment. Her main concern was to get home and get cleaned up before the O'Connor's realized what she looked like. Her head hurt so much that Jess wasn't sure that she would be able to come up with a believable excuse to why she was in such a state.

For what she had told Rip was the truth; she hadn't told anyone about him. She shivered as she remembered his actions from that morning and the reason he had given her for doing that to her. _"I'm so sorry, Jess but you had to go and tell Spindle. I warned you that this would happen." _If that was how he acted when he thought she had told someone about him, she hated to see what would happen if she actually did rat him out.

Hoping against hope that the O'Connor's had decided to go to bed extremely early, Jess crossed her fingers as she entered the apartment building and started to walk up the five flights of stairs to the O'Connor's home. Taking a deep breath she opened the door and quickly looked around the living room, only to find it empty. Letting out a sigh of relief, Jess took the kerchief off her hair and tossed it aside, limping straight to her bedroom.

"That's strange, I thought I left the door to me room open when I left this morning," she began to think to herself, but stopped when a sharp pain shot through her head. It was too painful to think right then.

Putting her left hand against her head, Jess used her right hand to open the door. She stopped short when she realized that she wasn't the only one in the room.

"Oh my God! What in Heaven's name happened to you, Jess?" squealed a short blonde figure as she darted across the room to help Jess to her bed.

Jess winced at the loud voice that rang in her ears, but allowed the other girl to lead her to her bed. "Damn, I forgot that Grace was coming to stay here."

After helping Jess into her bed, Grace ran to the bathroom and got a wet towel. Trying not to get sick at the site of her battered friend, she began to clean her up. After washing all of the dried blood off of Jess's face, Grace noticed that fresh blood was still seeping out of a wound on one side of Jess's head. As she grabbed a dry cloth and gently pressed it to the cut, she turned to look straight in Jess's clouded green eyes. "Jess, what happened? Who did this to you?"

Jess went to turn her head so that she couldn't see Grace's bright blue eyes but let out a tiny squeal of pain at the motion. Because averting her eyes was no longer an option, Jess chose to close her eyes so that Grace couldn't tell she was lying. "I was... I was... I was soaked by a bunch of newsies I didn't know," she stammered out, using the first excuse that popped in her mind.

Grace, not buying her excuse for a minute, pressed on. "But I thought that Rip was selling with you. Why didn't he do something to those newsies?"

"Rip had already left to see his _girlfriend_, Spindle. He wasn't there when I was attacked and he don't know nothing about it," Jess answered quickly, opening her eyes wide, trying to drop Rip's name from the conversation. She was afraid that she might somehow let it show through her emotions or facial expressions that it was Rip who had done this to her. And that would only make Rip mad if he knew that someone else had found something out about their relationship. "Rip and mad are two things I don't want to see mixed," she mumbled as she felt herself slowly losing consciousness again.

"What did ya just say? Jess? Jess?!" Grace panicked as she saw Jess's eyes flutter and begin to close again. Laying her head against Jess's chest she felt a wave of relief when she heard that Jess's heart was still beating. Working slowly and moving her ever-so-gently, Grace went about the task of changing Jess out of her blood-stained blouse and skirt and putting her in one of her lacey nightgowns.

After tucking Jess into her bed and changing the cloth on her head wound, Grace began to wonder how Jess had ended up so beaten. Though she tried not to fight, she could handle her own when she wanted to. And if a whole bunch of newsies were attacking her, Jess would have just taken off instead of letting them beat up on her. No, it was definitely a lie. "A bunch of newsies, indeed. If more than one guy did this to you, me friend, I'll eat me suspenders," Grace whispered in the darkness as she sat by her friend's bedside, listening to the rhythm of her faint but steady breathing.

Though feeling extremely furious and hateful towards Jess's attacker, Grace was puzzled by one thing: "I just want to know why you're so intent on protecting him when you're obviously the one who is in need of the protecting."


	16. Hiding

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Sunrise**** at the O'Connor's Apartment**

Mrs. O'Connor stood pacing in her kitchen as she debated whether or not to wake the girls to go to the distribution center. Last night she was awoken when she heard Grace shrieking at Jess. She knew better than to barge in on Jess, especially after she had come home at night. These past few weeks had brought a drastic change over her, and Mrs. O'Connor was extremely worried. So worried in fact that after she was sure that both Jess and Grace had fallen asleep last night, she had peeked her head into the bedroom to see why Grace was shrieking when Jess had returned home, an hour or so after sunset the night before.

Her stomach dropped as she remembered the sight she had encountered after she had snuck into Jess's room last night. By using one of the candles she kept for emergencies on her nightstand, she stealthily entered the room and gasped when she tripped over the pile of blood-stained clothes that Grace had left at the foot of Jess's bed.

Using the edge of the bed to steady herself, Mrs. O'Connor set her eyes on the two figures that lay asleep on top of the bed. Grace, still dressed in her newsies clothes, had her arms around Jess protectively as she lay by her side. Jess, the right side of her face swollen with a matching black eye, was dressed in one of the nightgowns she never wore, her head wrapped in a blood-stained cloth.

"My God," she had whispered as tears sprang to her eyes. She wanted to wake Jess up and ask her what had happened, but she knew that in her state all she needed was her rest. Instead she blew out her candle and trudged back to her room.

"Dear, where were you? Did you find out why the girls were arguing before?" Mr. O'Connor had asked sleepily as she had climbed back into their bed.

"Shhh, honey. I'll talk to you tomorrow morning," she replied, kissing him on the forehead as he fell back asleep.

She, on the other hand, was never able to fall back asleep. Instead she spent her sleepless night wondering why Jess was so beaten.

Now Mrs. O'Connor was worrying whether or not to wake Grace and Jess up to go to work. The decision was made for her when Grace came plodding into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes as she tried to wake up.

"Morning Mrs. O'Connor," she said as she sat down at the kitchen table.

"Good morning, Grace dear," Mrs. O'Connor replied, smiling warmly, as she sat down opposite of Grace.

"Before you say anything, I just want to say that we should be real quiet. You probably saw what Jess looks like and I don't think that she should be selling today," Grace finished her sentence warily as she tried - and failed - to stifle a yawn. She had stayed up late, hoping that Jess would wake up and finish explaining who had soaked her.

Mrs. O'Connor sighed in relief as she nodded. "I agree with you, dear. And yes, I did see the mess that she was last night. Would you mind telling me what happened to her?"

"If only I knew, Mrs. O'Connor," Grace said shaking her long blonde hair, "if only I knew."

"Jess didn't tell you anything about what happened? I - er- heard you girls talking a bit last night, but I wasn't sure exactly what was said," Mrs. O'Connor asked, a curious and puzzled look in her tired brown eyes.

"Nothing at all. All she told me was that a bunch of newsies attacked her and then she passed out again. I waited to see if she would wake up but she didn't. I ain't going to sell today neither. I'm going to wait until she opens her eyes cause maybe then she'll remember something else about yesterday."

"That's a great idea, Grace. I'm going to stay home today too. I was going to go to market but that can wait until after we figure out exactly what happened," Mrs. O'Connor added as she got up from the table and got breakfast for Grace. "Here, dear. Have something to eat. You look dead on your feet."

"Yeah, well, at least I ain't all bloody and beaten though," Grace said as she refused the food and stood to leave the kitchen. The site of Jess's beaten face and the repulsion Grace felt for her attacker had driven away any appetite that she may have had. "At least I ain't hiding from something, ya know?"


	17. Alone

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Four hours later**

After her brief conversation with Mrs. O'Connor, Grace went back to her post at Jess's bedside, waiting for her to regain consciousness. She was kind of nervous to see Jess's reaction at the news that she had slept long past the time to sell the morning edition. She didn't think Jess would be too happy.

Grace's thoughts were interrupted when she felt Jess move around, rustling her sheets. Slowly but surely she awoke.

"Grace, hi. What are you doing?" Jess asked as she gently put her hand to her head. Even after sleeping for over twelve hours, the pain in Jess's head had not subsided in the least. If anything it was worse because she felt stiff all over and she could barely open her right eye; The right eye, the black eye, was so swollen it was only opened about one-third of the way. The left eye shut itself as the sunlight that was pouring in through the window. "Grace, why is the sun shining in me eyes? What time is it?" she shrieked as she tried to sit up in bed.

Grace firmly pushed her back so that she was laying in her bed. "Jess, now, don't worry. It's only about ten o'clock. You've been sleeping for awhile," she noted gently, trying to calm her down.

But Jess didn't want to be calmed down. "You don't understand! You don't understand! I got to go sell papes or else!!"

Grace caught her "or else" and jumped on it. "Or else what? Does it got anything to do with your attack yesterday?"

Jess stumbled at first but regained her composure. "Ye--No, no, not at all. I just... need to go sell papes. What will the O'Connor's say?"

Mrs. O'Connor, who was lurking by the doorway, took that moment to enter the room. "I say that you are too hurt to be going anywhere right now, Jess. Do you want me to call a doctor for you, dear?"

Jess flushed and quickly lowered her voice. "Of course not, Mrs. O'Connor. I'm good. Thick head, you know," she forced out a giggle as her mind raced. "Rip is going to kill me! If I'm not there when Rip comes for me, I'm dead!" Her breathing became forced when she could no longer control her panic. "If he did this to me when he thinks I did something bad, I could only imagine what he would do if I don't show up tonight."

Grace and Mrs. O'Connor exchanged a look when they saw the difficulty Jess was having keeping her phony smile on her face. "Jess, why don't you just go back to sleep? You look like you need more rest," Mrs. O'Connor suggested as she walked over to the windows and pulled a curtain in front.

Jess tried to shake her head but found she was unable. Struggling to sit up and get out of bed, Jess looked up at Grace pleadingly. "I feel much better. Maybe a walk would help me not feel as sore, anyways."

Grace just shook her head. "Naw, Jess. I think that you shouldn't get out of bed until at least tomorrow."

Jess looked over at Mrs. O'Connor. "Please, Mrs. O'Connor. If I'm a good girl and stay in bed for a few more hours, can I go out tonight?" Jess knew she sounded incredibly desperate but it seriously was a matter of life and death. At least it was to her.

Seeing how much it meant to her, it broke Mrs. O'Connor's heart to even think of saying no. But that's what she did. "I'm sorry, Jess, but I happen to agree with Grace. Maybe tomorrow, O.K.? Get some rest, dear," she said as she leaned over and gave Jess a quick hug.

"Rest, schmest. I'm going and no one is going to stop me," Jess vowed as she shut her eyes and pretended to go to sleep. All she needed was an opening and she was gone. "I don't never want to give Rip another reason for doing that to me again!"


	18. Business

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**At the ****Distribution********Center**

"I'll take a hundred papes, my good man," Rip said with a charming smile, a smile that masked his true feelings. For Rip was in the grip of an uncontrollable anger. Ever since he awoke in the alley the evening before only to discover that Jess had left him alone, Rip was furious. And to make matters worse, Jess had failed to show up at the distribution center that morning. He had waited all morning for her hoping that he could apologize to her for what had happened the day before, prepared to forget the fact that she had ditched him in that alley. Now all he wanted to do was make her pay for standing him up since, as a result of his waiting for her, Spindle had become glued to his side.

"Rip, my darling, are you ready to go and sell?" Spindle purred, tucking her long red hair behind her ears. "I'm so excited; we haven't sold papes together since the last time I was with you in Harlem."

"Yeah, sure, Spindle. Whatever you say," he answered, his blue eyes clouded as he searched the crowd one last time for Jess. When he didn't see anyone with a head of blondish-brown curls approaching the distribution center, he sighed and followed Spindle down the street.

Grasping his hand in hers, Spindle walked side by side Rip, laughing out loud to herself. Every now and then she would try to start up a conversation with Rip, but all attempts failed. She gave up, just being content in sharing his company. Maybe there wasn't someone else, after all. Spindle had second-guessed him, especially since she had not seen him at all yesterday. He was gone by the time she had reached the distribution center and none of the newsies had said that they had seen him. She had also waited for him until after ten but he didn't show up to the lodging house until far after she had gone to her own. Feeling happy that things were finally back to the way they were when she had visited Rip in Harlem, she decided to start up another conversation - this time about them. "I'm so glad that our relationship ain't a mess."

Rip, too busy with his own thoughts, ignored her laughter and chitchat until something caught his attention. "Did you just say 'Jess'? Why would you say her name for?" Rip asked suddenly as he stopped in his tracks.

"Jess? I didn't say her name! Why did you think I said her name? Is it because you got that tramp on your mind," Spindle thundered as she snatched her hand out of Rip's loose grip.

Rip, forcing down the annoyance he felt at himself for speaking Jess's name, tuned out the "tramp" comment again. "Of course not, my sweet. You're the only girl on my mind. How often do I need to tell you that?" he said in a deep voice as he stood behind Spindle and ran his arms up and down hers.

Spindle shivered at his touch and completely melted into his arms. As she looked into his blue eyes, Spindle felt her anger slipping away. "I'm sorry Rip. I know, I know. I love you and you love me and we're going to be together forever. Right, Rip?" she said as she turned her head around to face him, a crazy look in her emerald eyes.

For the first time in his life Rip actually felt uneasy. He didn't like the way that Spindle was looking at him so he broke the gaze. Because he didn't want to answer Spindle's question he distracted her by pulling her close to him and giving her a big kiss.

When they broke apart, Spindle looked up at him, satisfied. Rip quickly changed the subject before Spindle had a chance to repeat her question. "C'mon, me lady. Let's go sell our papes."

Rip and Spindle strolled around New York all morning and afternoon long. To any one who they came across, they seemed like the perfect couple: so happy and so in love.

Isn't it great how things can seem to be and yet they are totally false?

It was about five o'clock or so that Rip began to get antsy.

Spindle noticed right away but pretended not too, so that they would continue to walk around the city together. Now that she had spent the entire day with him and was sure that he still loved her, Spindle didn't want to give him the chance to go out looking at any other girls.

After about twenty minutes Rip finally spoke up. "Spindle, dear, would you mind terribly if I took off and met up with you later? I got some business to take care of and it kind of can't wait," Rip walked behind her and began to caress her neck, blowing on it gently until he could sense her begin to weaken.

And weaken she did. "Sure, Rip. I'll meet up with you at the lodging house later." Spindle leaned over and gave him a quick kiss so that he knew what he would be returning for.

Rip patted her on her head and sent her on her way. He thought he would never get rid of her. After spending the entire day having Spindle follow him around like a puppy dog, he was hoping that he could have a little time to unwind. Usually he had Jess to help him unwind, but he wasn't sure if she'd be there when he arrived at "their" alley. "She better be waiting for me, otherwise next time I ain't going to be so gentle," he snarled to himself as he started towards said alley.

Too preoccupied with thoughts of what he would do to Jess if she disobeyed him, Rip didn't notice that Spindle had turned around and began to follow him in the direction of the alley.


	19. Trouble

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**At the O'Connor's**

Jess was biting her nails in anticipation, she was so nervous. All day long Mrs. O'Connor and Grace had been constantly peeking their head into her room to make sure she was fine. Though she kept repeating stubbornly that she was fine and all she wanted to do was take a walk and get fresh air, neither would allow her to get up.

If she wanted to make sure that she was waiting in the alley before Rip got there, she needed to leave the O'Connor's real soon. And as much as she never wanted to see Rip again, never wanted to feel the weight of his body on hers, never wanted to hear him say his "I-love-you", she knew that if she never wanted to have a beating like that again then she had to be there for their daily routine or else.

The consequences for that "or else" were so bad that Jess gave an involuntary shudder at the general mention of them as it ran through her mind.

Luckily for Jess the perfect opportunity for her "escape" came as soon as it was needed. Jess hurriedly shut her eyes and pretended to be resting when she heard someone approach her room.

Mere seconds after Jess heard someone walking towards her, Mrs. O'Connor peeked her head in the doorway of Jess's room. "Jess, dear, are you awake?" she asked and continued when Jess opened her eyes half-way, "I just wanted to tell you that Grace and I are going to go to market. Is there anything you need?"

"No thank you, Mrs. O'Connor. I'm just going to sit here and relax like a good little girl," she said with a little giggle. Mrs. O'Connor didn't know how easy she was making this for her.

"O.K., just remember. No leaving this apartment, right?" badgered Mrs. O'Connor, letting Jess know that she was not ignoring the fact that all she had complained about all day was going outside and she was not to take the opportunity and do it.

"Whatever you say, Mrs. O'Connor," she said with an angelic smile. The effect was kind of thrown off considering the angel had a split lip and a black eye, but Mrs. O'Connor grinned, nodded and left, taking Grace with her.

Minutes after Mrs. O'Connor and Grace left through the front door of the apartment, Jess gingerly stepped out of her bed and began to change. "I'm sure that Rip would just love it if I showed up in me nightdress," she moaned as she stiffly lifted her arms over her head to undress. She buttoned up a fresh, blood-free white blouse and pulled on a long brown skirt. "I guess this is good enough," she whispered to herself as she glanced at her reflection in the mirror for a second before turning her head away in disgust.

Jess couldn't even stand to look at herself and it wasn't because she despised the bruises on her face. She hated herself for letting Rip have this kind of control over her. There she was, disobeying the O'Connor's wishes and sneaking out just to make him happy. But she knew that she had to keep him happy. "It's either I go now or I pay for it later. I rather just get it over with, ya know," she murmured as she took the cloth off of her head. Checking to see if her wound had finally clotted, and sighing in relief when she noticed that it had, she discarded the cloth and slipped on her shoes. "All I can do now is pray that he ain't mad that I left him yesterday."

Walking slowly, Jess exited the apartment and began to make her way towards the alley where she had met Rip everyday for the past three weeks. Her head pounding in exact rhythm to the beating of her heart, she nervously dreaded arriving at the alley and seeing Rip. For all she knew he would be angry at her and probably beat her. "But he might forgive me cause I made me way down here tonight, right?" she asked herself out loud, trying to convince herself that she was doing the smart thing by returning to the scene of her most recent attack.

She reached the alley in no time considering that she was still walking as slowly as possible to prevent aggravating her injuries any further. "At least I got here before Rip did," she thought as she sat down to wait for him. Usually he was there first, prepared for their time together. "Unless he already was here and didn't see me," she added as she paled. That would be really bad; It would probably send Rip's temper soaring if he had arrived and she wasn't there.

Sitting on the cold ground of the dark alley, Jess leaned against one of the brick walls, gently rubbing her swollen cheek. "When did my life turn into this mess? What did I do to deserve this?" she whispered to herself as she winced slightly at the pressure on her bruised face.

"So you did come to see me? I feel so loved, me dear," came a husky voice as a tall, dark and handsome figured swaggered into the alley and stood directly in front of Jess. He held his hand out to help her up and let out a tiny laugh when she flinched at his sudden motion towards her.

Jess flushed nervously as she let Rip help her to her feet. "This guy here just amazes me. I just can't believe that he can be so cruel and rough to me one day and so sweet and nice another day. I can never know if it's me fault or not when he's hitting me," she thought to herself, bracing herself for any sudden mood swings he might have.

Rip always had mood swings. That is why she was in the state she was in.

He brought his fingers to Jess's face and caressed the bruises he had inflicted on her during his flash of anger the day before. "Let me just say that I'm so glad that you came today. You had me worried that you didn't love me no more," he said sweetly, looking directly in her eyes.

Jess, too afraid to turn away in case it offended Rip, stared back in to his cold blue eyes. "How could you ever think that, Rip? I... I...I love you," she stammered out. Those three words always succeeding in keeping Rip happy.

Like ever other time she told him that she loved him, Rip began to glow with pride. "She's still me li'l Miss, even after what I did to her yesterday," he thought happily as he kissed her gently on her forehead. Though he was sorry for his actions from the morning before, he didn't regret anything that he did; instead he was all the more pleased because he liked the way that he had had her trained to return to him no matter what.

"I love you too, Miss Jess," he said before tilting her back and kissing her passionately.

Jess was taken aback when Rip leaned her head back and began to press his lips on hers. Fighting back the initial reflex to gag, she began to kiss him back in order to keep him in good spirits. "It'll all be over with before I know it and I can get home before the O'Connor's and Grace realize that I was gone," she thought trying to keep her mind off of Rip's traveling hands.

As it turned out, Jess had something else to take her mind off of Rip's hands. Unbeknownst to them, someone had followed Rip into the alley and had arrived just in time to hear what Rip had said to Jess.

"You're in love with that... that...that girl?" screeched an all too familiar voice as Jess's blood ran cold.

"Uh-oh, I think that I'm in trouble."


	20. Slice

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Following right behind Rip**

"I wonder where the heck he's going." Spindle asked herself for the third time as she followed Rip down one side street and then another. She quickened her pace to keep up with him; she would never know what business he needed to take care of if she lost him in the on-setting darkness as the sun began to set.

Spindle stopped short when she noticed that Rip had turned right again and was heading straight toward a deserted alleyway. He continued walking until he reached the entrance. Pausing briefly to run his hands through his spiky black hair, Rip walked down into the dark depths of the street.

"What kind of business could he be doing this time of night and down that alley? I don't think this is good," she mumbled to herself, debating whether or not she should follow her boyfriend down that alley.

Realizing that she would live to regret her decision if she just walked away, Spindle held her head up high and went in right after Rip.

Her gasp went unnoticed when she spied Rip staring dreamily at Jess as he cooed, "I love you too, Miss Jess."

Spindle stood there, gaping at the hot and steamy kiss that Rip and Jess were sharing, before the information sunk in. "You're in love with that... that...that girl?"

Upon hearing Spindle's shriek, Rip and Jess broke apart. "This ain't what it looks like, Spindle," Rip stumbled out, trying to approach her, pushing Jess behind him.

But Spindle knew what she saw and exactly what it looked like. And she knew exactly who was hiding behind Rip. "Rip, I would advise you to stay out of this, now. This is just between me and li'l miss Jess over there," she said coolly as she reached into her pocket and slowly, right in Jess's line of vision, pulled out her pocketknife.

Jess, aware that Spindle's knife was drawn, began trembling like a leaf. "I knew this was going to happen. I don't know why I'm surprised," she said to herself, as she made a move to step forward.

Rip threw out his arm to stop her from getting any closer to Spindle. "Jess, just stay where you're at."

"But Rip--" she started as she tried to get past him. Jess saw the fire in Spindle's eyes and knew that it would be worse to make her wait. "At least this way it'll be quick and easy." She was surprised to know that she was actually anxious to receive the punishment that Spindle wanted to dole out for the crime of stealing her boyfriend.

"Jess, what did I say?" he thundered as he turned to face her, raising his hand to show that he meant what he said. She just didn't realize how desperately he was trying to keep the two girls apart. He was _not _going to let Spindle kill his "li'l Miss".

Jess ducked her head quickly, in case the target for Rip's hand was her face.

The lightning-speed of those motions were all the time that Spindle needed to make her move. In the split seconds that Rip had his back turned and Jess had her face hidden, Spindle leapt forward and pushed Rip to the side. Rip stumbled slightly as he veered to his right. With Rip no longer keeping his body in between Spindle and Jess, Spindle had a clear path to stab at Jess.

Swinging her knife wildly, her concentration severed due to the intensity of her anger, Spindle missed Jess with her first lunge. The precious seconds she wasted were enough for Rip to regain his footing. As Jess stood there, standing tall and prepared for Spindle's knife to plunge deep, Spindle threw one more stab at her. Rip jumped forward and shoved Jess out of the knife's path. As Jess went flying to her left side, Spindle's knife made contact with her flesh. Instead of hitting her chest, as was Spindle's goal, Spindle had sliced the skin across Jess's right shoulder.

Grasping her arm in shock, pain flooding her entire body, Jess pulled herself to her feet and started to back out of the alley. With both Spindle and Rip occupied, Spindle trying with all her might to go after Jess and kill her this time and Rip using his strength to keep her away from Jess, Jess's walk quickened to a trot, then to a jog and then to a full-blown run. "I got to get home before Spindle actually kills me this time." For she knew that Spindle wouldn't stop until she was dead. "I take it back! I don't want to die!" she cried to herself as she continued running, praying that neither Rip nor Spindle would come after her.

"Jess, get back here!" Rip screamed as he watched her run, clutching her right shoulder as she went. After catching Spindle off guard, he knocked her knife out of her hand. Without her weapon to brandish and threaten Rip was able to grasp her by the shoulders and push her to the ground. Once Spindle landed near the side of the alley with a thump, Rip took off down the street after Jess. "I thought you knew by now, Miss Jess, that you can't run away from me!"


	21. Truth

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Running to the O'Connor's**

****

Though her body ached, her head spun and her shoulder felt like it was on fire, Jess kept running towards the O'Connor's apartment. Faintly behind her she could make out Rip running after her, calling her name as he went. "Oh my God, he's coming after me. What am I supposed to do?" she panicked as she tried to run all the faster. "He wouldn't dare follow me to the O'Connor's, right?" She prayed that Rip would be subtle enough to leave her family out of it. "Ah, but remember? He always said that they would be the first to go if I upset him. And I'm sure I upset him now," she sobbed as she reached the tenement.

Not slowing her pace in the slightest, lest Rip caught up with her before she reached the apartment, Jess ran up the stairs and, using her right arm since her left was now out of commission, barged through the front door.

Upon entering the apartment, Jess came face to face with Mr. and Mrs. O'Connor and Grace, all of whom were extremely angry at her for leaving her room.

Mrs. O'Connor stepped forward. "Jess, where have you been? We've been going nuts-- Where are you going, young lass? I'm not done with you yet!" she cried as she watched Jess storm pass her and enter her bedroom.

She started to follow her but stopped when her husband gently held her back. "Wait, my dear. I think something bad has happened to Jess. She'll tell us when she's ready," he whispered as he guided her to the sofa to sit alongside Grace.

Meanwhile, inside her bedroom, Jess was trying hard to regain her composure. "I can't panic, I can not panic..." she recited to herself as she stumbled to her bed and quickly went to work making herself a bandage for her wound. She stripped off a piece of her bed sheet and tied it around her right shoulder. After tying a tight knot and applying pressure to stop the bleeding, Jess changed out of her torn blouse and grabbed a fresh one. If she was going to confront her family and explain to them her version of the events of the past few weeks, she didn't want them to see some of the evidence that might prove otherwise.

Once her arm had stopped shaking, though the pain was still immense, Jess was prepared to talk to the O'Connor's. Using her left arm to open the door, she stepped out into the living room. "Mr. and Mrs. O'Connor? I need to talk to you and it's kind of important--" she started to say but was cut off when there came a sudden pounding at the front door.

Before she could continue her sentence Jess leapt forward and locked the door. Once she was sure that the person on the other side would remain there, she walked back into the living room, shaking slightly.

Fear was written in her green eyes as she heard a voice call out, "Jess, are you in there? Answer this door, NOW!"

No doubt about it, Rip was waiting outside of her apartment door for her. And he was mad!

Now that she was being forced to face both her real life and the secret life she had been living for the past three weeks, Jess broke down completely. She had been prepared to tell the O'Connor's a fictitious story of what had happened and why she had felt the need to leave without anyone's permission, but she knew that she must tell them the truth.

"Mr. and Mrs. O'Connor, Grace, I've got something very important to say. All I beg of you is that you don't interrupt, you don't judge and just that you believe me, please..." she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes, eyes that were refusing to make contact with anyone else in the room. Before she had a chance to begin her story, she jumped back when she heard Rip call to her again.

"I know you're in there! You can't hide from me and you know it!" Rip called, even louder and more desperately as he rattled the door handle and beat against the door.

Mr. O'Connor looked at Jess questioningly as he went to send whoever it was at the door away. Jess ran forward and, with her left hand, clutched his shirt, obviously horrified. "No, please..." she whispered before dissolving into sobs. Grace ran forward and enveloped her in a hug as Mr. O'Connor backed away from the door, looking ashamed.

Ignoring the frenzied screams coming from the other side of the door, Mrs. O'Connor spoke softly to Jess. "Jess, honey, I think it's about time you tell us what's going on. It has something to do with that boy out there, doesn't it?"

Calming down long enough to nod her head, Jess covered her ears to avoid hearing Rip's call of her name. Her head was spinning and she felt waves of nausea overwhelming her every time he spoke her name. "Please just stop, Rip. I can't take it no more," she said to herself as she sank onto the couch, hiding deep into the cushion as if she was hiding far away from Rip.

Everyone in the living room stayed in there exact positions for the next twenty minutes or so. As Jess curled up into the fetal position on the couch, pressing her left hand against her left ear and her right ear against the material of the couch to drown out Rip's anguished voice, Grace sat by her side, trying to get her to tell them what had happened. The O'Connor's stood by the edge of the couch, shoulder to shoulder, waiting for Jess to calm down enough to explain why there was someone standing outside their apartment shouting her name.

After waiting outside of her apartment for close to an hour, Rip realized it would be smart to leave before someone called the police for his disturbance. Figuring her should make her aware that she wouldn't get away from him so easily; he called out to her one last time. "Jess, don't think this is over, cause it ain't. You're still mine and you always will be!" And with that final cry and one last pummeling of the apartment door, Rip took off to head back to the lodging house, praying that Spindle wouldn't have the nerve to meet up with him after all of the day's events.

Grace sat up alarmed when Jess began to shiver and shake upon Rip's parting threat. Slowly curling out of her rolled-up position on the couch, she turned to face her guardians of the past seven years. "I think I'm going to have to leave Queens..." she whispered as she roughly used her left hand to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"What? No-- I mean-- Why?" Mrs. O'Connor gasped as she tried to get her question out, unable to comprehend the meaning of her words.

Looking at the shocked faces of the three people who stood in front of her, Jess sighed. It was the only choice, a choice she had to make. If she stayed she would only end up getting hurt and putting her friends and family into danger. "Stand tall and stand strong," she murmured to herself before beginning to tell the O'Connor's and Grace everything that had happened to her since she had met Rip that fateful day.

She spoke for over an hour, occasionally glossing over the nastier aspects, leaving out the rape and sexual intimacy of their relationship entirely. Though she understood deep down that most of what Rip had done to her _wasn't _her fault, she wanted to keep her pure and innocent image in the O'Connor's eyes. She would just die if they associated her with some of the other trash that they saw selling themselves on the dirty streets of New York.

"And no matter what I do, this boy is always going after me, hitting me when I tell him no. That's why I ended up so hurt yesterday and that's why we had someone pounding on our door tonight," she ended her story when she dropped her head into her one working hand.

"Then why did you go out to see him tonight if you don't like him?" Grace asked, trying to make sense of the tale Jess had just told. Though she believed what Jess was saying, she couldn't help but feel like there was something important that she was leaving out. "Like who that guy was..." Grace thought to herself. Throughout the entire time Jess was speaking, she avoided saying any names, instead referring to her attacker as "he", "him", "that guy" and "the boy". "But that voice was awfully familiar," she noted, trying to remember where she had heard the voice from before.

Upon hearing Grace question her, Jess tensed up. Mrs. O'Connor, relieved to finally know what was going on with her young ward, hushed Grace up when she noticed Jess's reaction to her question. "Thanks, dear. I'm sorry this has happened to you at all and you should have told us sooner. Don't worry, we'll get that bastard behind bars as soon as you tell us who he is," she said kindly, her sweet voice covering up the spiteful word she threw out in her sentence.

Jess paled visibly. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that."

Her eyes showing her confusion, Mrs. O'Connor opened her mouth to object, but was cut off immediately by Mr. O'Connor. "Well, then, Jess, honey, what would you like us to do?" he asked gently. Though he didn't know why, Mr. O'Connor knew that there was a reason why Jess was protecting the scum that was obviously making her life hell. He may not understand why but he understood it was important to her and he was trying to make things easier for her to deal with.

She turned to face Mr. O'Connor, relief at his kind words written all over her face. "Thank you, Mr. O'Connor. But I really think that I should leave Queens for a little bit, until everything dies down over here. Then I'll come back and everything will go back to being normal." She didn't think that her life would ever go back to being normal, but she knew that the best thing for everyone would be her leaving Queens as soon as possible.

Mrs. O'Connor obviously disagreed. "But Jess, you are only thirteen years old. It's not safe for a girl your age to go off by herself."

Grace cut in. "I'll go with you, Jess."

Jess was extremely grateful for the offer but she knew she would have to decline; Unsafe as New York was, it would be even more unsafe for any of her friends to accompany her on her self-exile from her hometown. "Grace, please understand, this is something I have to do on my own. I'll be back soon, promise. I'll found a nice lodging house to stay in another borough and I'll work there to earn money. When the problems around here die down, I'll return," she added with a set smile planted firmly on her face as she rotated her head so that she could see the O'Connor's reaction to her plan.

Though he knew his wife and Grace longed to argue with Jess, Mr. O'Connor gave in. "O.K. Jess. Tomorrow morning I'll put you on an early trolley to get you out of Queens. But only until things die down, alright?"

Jess slumped deeper into the couch with relief. "Now we'll all be safe." she sighed contentedly to herself as she nodded and agreed with Mr. O'Connor.

Mr. O'Connor looked over at his wife, who was staring dumb-struck at Jess. He knew she would be furious with him for agreeing to let her leave but surely she realized that there was something more at stake that they didn't know about, right?


	22. Forever

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**The Boys' Lodging House**

"Why is she ignoring me? She knows that I ain't letting her go, I ain't done with her yet!" Rip cried out loud to no one as he stormed his way up the lodging house stairs. He was so angry. Angry at Spindle for trying to hurt his "li'l Miss", angry at Jess for running away from him and refusing to answer the door to speak to him, angry at himself for letting Jess get hurt from Spindle's twisted illusion of their non-existent relationship.

Pounding his fist into his hand as he stalked into the bunkroom, he entered unaware of the eyes on him. He reached his bunk and flung himself on it, content on the idea of sleeping the evening's events off. "And tomorrow I will teach Miss Jess a lesson she'll never forget. I guess she just never learned that she can't run away from me," he sneered to himself as he covered his head with his pillow.

"Uh, Rip? I'm sorry to bother you and all, but I got something for you," Danger said hesitantly as he slowly approached Rip's bunk, narrowly avoiding the pillow that Rip threw at him.

"Don't it look like I don't want to be bothered right now, Danger?" he said fiercely as he sat up to face the taller boy.

Danger, whose name was unfitting at the moment, cowered before Rip as he flung a folded note at him. "I know, but she said it was real important and I had to give it to you."

Rip jumped out of his bunk eagerly upon hearing Danger say the word "she". "Maybe Jess stopped by the lodging house and gave Danger a note for me," he said as he snatched up the piece of paper.

And threw it back at Danger in anger once he read and processed what it said.

"Danger, leave me alone," Rip said as he turned to face the other side of the bunkroom. "NOW" he added once he noticed that Danger had leaned over slightly so that he could read the note that had fallen so carelessly to the floor.

Danger jumped up at Rip's menacing tone and quickly retreated to his own bunk. But not before he saw what was written on the note that he had delivered to Rip:

_Rip,_

_I don't know what came over you, but I forgive you. We _will _be happy together, forever and always. Whether you want to be or not!_

_Forever yours,_

_Spindle_

Danger felt sick when he noticed something about the note. No wonder it upset Rip. Not only was the note filled with a threatening vibe, it was clearly written in blood.


	23. Grace

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**The O'Connor's Apartment**

After spending what seemed like an eternity in silence, Mrs. O'Connor kissed both Jess and Grace on their foreheads and headed to bed, with Mr. O'Connor following shortly behind her. Grace sat next to Jess, trying to understand what she had just heard. Her best friend was leaving her all alone and starting out fresh somewhere else. "Well, she ain't going nowhere until she tells me what really is going on here," Grace announced to herself as she stood up to face Jess. She knew something was going on and she wasn't going to drop it this time. This time it was too important.

Grace waited patiently until Jess got up from the couch and made her way to her bedroom. Flipping her long blonde hair out of her way, Grace followed her into the room and, shutting the door swiftly behind her, cornered her pal. "Jess, if you're going to be leaving here tomorrow, I want you to tell me the truth. I understand if you got something that you want to hide from the O'Connor's, but I need you to tell me what really happened."

Jess looked trapped. On the one hand she was dying to share all the horrid details with someone but on the other hand, she knew she was only putting Grace in danger if she knew. Grace, who watched the battle within Jess's mind, observed that there was definitely something important that was left out and continued to press the topic. "I swear that if you don't tell me, I'm going to go with you where ever you go until you tell me," she said as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"You want to know? Really? Well, then, I'll tell you," she stated, showing no emotion in her face, trying her damndest to hide all the hurt and pain she had endured and was preparing to tell Grace all about, "Ya know, Rip?"

Grace, alarmed at the way Jess was now reacting, nodded. "I knew this had to do something with Rip..." she mumbled as she waited for Jess to continue.

"Well, Rip, mister lovely, wonderful, handsome, and kind Rip," she announced, long-hidden spite showing up in each word, "he raped me and beat me and had taken over me entire life," Jess hissed the remainder of her sentence through her teeth before turning her head away in shame. But she was still relieved. It was the first time she admitted to anyone out loud what had happened to her, including herself.

Grace recoiled as the news hit her. "What? Why? Rip? No-- I mean, why didn't you tell anyone? What is Spindle going to say? Oh my God, what is Spindle going to do?" she gasped , covering her mouth with both of her hands.

Jess slowly walked over to her bed and sat down. As she did so, she unbuttoned the first three buttons of her blouse so that her bandaged, slightly blood-stained from where the cut had bled through, shoulder was visible. "To answer your questions, Grace. I don't know why Rip picked me to do this to, but he did. And he definitely did all kind of unmentionable things to me, but I really don't have the strength to go into that. As for Spindle, she kept her word and tried to kill me. I was prepared to let her, I mean, anything is better than the life that Rip had made for me, right? But Rip didn't let her, instead pushing me outta the way of Spindle's knife. I got a nice little nick on me shoulder from Spindle's knife and the pain was enough for me to wake up and see some sense. I need to get away from Spindle and Rip. Those two deserve each other and I don't want to be apart of their relationship no more," she spit out bitterly as she openly began to weep.

Grace sat there in shock. Though she knew that Jess was hiding something from them all, she, like Iris and Dice, had just thought she was in love with Rip and was keeping that from Spindle. She never would have guessed that Rip was hurting her the way he was, out of his idea of "love". "O.K., Jess. I understand why you got to leave, though I really don't want you too."

Jess wiped her tears as she leaned forward to give Grace a hug. "You don't think any less of me cause of what I've been doing with Rip?" she whispered, afraid that Grace was going to think of her as a whore.

Grace looked at her in surprise. "Not at all, me friend. Not at all..." she murmured as she looked down at Jess. There she was, a thirteen year old girl looking though she's doubled her age in mere minutes, covered with blood and bruises, her swollen cheek and black eye especially visible, even in the moonlight. "You never did anything to deserve none of this."

"Thank you, Grace. You don't know how much that means to me."

Grace returned Jess's hug and then looked down at her seriously. "When you leave tomorrow, I don't think that Spindle and Rip is going to forget about you over night."

Jess gasped audibly as she remembered the multitude of threats Rip had made against her family and friends. Surely if she was gone, he would take his anger out on them. "What am I going to do? I can not stay here, but I can't leave, otherwise things might get worse."

Grace smiled as she got a sudden flash of brilliance. "Don't worry, Jess. I got an idea. But you got to promise me that you'll come back to Queens."

Jess smiled gratefully at Grace as she listened to Grace's idea for the next morning. "Don't worry, Grace. Queens is my home; I could never leave it for good."


	24. Goodbye

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**The Next Morning**

The next morning, Mr. O'Connor woke Jess up even earlier than his wife normally would if she was going to the distribution center. After Mr. O'Connor woke up his wife and Grace so they could say good-bye, Grace helped her pack a few of her things: a couple of skirts, a few blouses, her stuffed bear and a hairbrush. Then, one last time together, they ate a quick breakfast, before Mr. O'Connor took her and put her on a trolley heading towards Manhattan.

"Goodbye, dear. Take care of yourself. Don't talk to strangers and find a nice, clean girls' lodging house to stay. I don't want you wandering around that city all by yourself. I want you to write us often and once you have an address, we'll send you letters telling you about what is going on up here. Here is some money to get yourself situated." he said as he handed Jess a few dollars, most of his monthly earnings.

Jess threw her left arm over his neck, still hiding the fact that her right shoulder was hurt, and gave him a quick kiss. "Thank you Mr. O'Connor. I'll be a good girl, trust me. I'll write you a letter once I settle down. Don't forget to tell Mrs. O'Connor that I love her and thank Grace for me. Don't worry," she added when she noted the expression on his face, "I'll be back home before you know it."

Mr. O'Connor smiled as he looked down at the young lady he had known for the past seven years. "I'm not worried, Jess. Just so surprised at how you've grown. I'll see you soon, my dear." He gave her a kiss on her cheek and told one of his fellow trolley conductors, the one whose trolley was en route to Manhattan, to keep an eye on her and make sure she gets to her destination safely.

He stood on the corner of the street as he watched a major part of his life ride a trolley away from him and his wife and the life they had known ever since they had arrived in America seven years ago. "Goodbye, wee one. Good luck in Manhattan. I hope it treats you better than Queens." he said wistfully as he waved goodbye, wondering when he would ever see her again. As tears welled up in his eyes, Mr. O'Connor was glad he had insisted on leaving his wife at home. Women were always too emotional.


	25. Accident

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**At the ****Distribution********Center**

Grace walked slowly to the distribution center, feeling totally empty and alone now that her best friend was gone. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself," she scolded herself as she picked up her pace, "Jess is counting on you to get those awful scabbers to forget about her. You can't blow this."

She arrived just in time to walk in on a conversation that a group of girls were having: Quipster, Tunes, Moneybags, Corner, Dice and Iris were all standing around the gate, attempting to console an exceptionally angry Spindle while keeping a fearful eye out for Jess.

"Can you believe that she went after Rip, even when she knew he was me guy?" Spindle announced again as she paced back and forth, waiting for Jess to arrive so she could finish their business.

Moneybags tried to calm her down. "Are you sure, Spindle? I mean, maybe that wasn't even Jess you saw in that alley last night?"

Quipster nodded, not wanting Spindle to get upset, answered Moneybags first. "Of course Spindle is sure. I just can't get over what nerve that girl has."

Dice and Iris exchanged a quick look before turning to face Spindle and saying in unison, "Yeah, what nerve!"

Corner reached over and patted Spindle on her arm. "Don't worry Spindle, we all know who Rip prefers," she said as she crossed her fingers behind her back. "Anything to keep the leader happy..." she thought to herself as she looked over to Tunes for help.

Tunes, recognizing the look Corner was giving her as one for help, jumped in. "Yeah, Spindle. You got nothing to worry about."

Grace, after taking a deep breath, stepped forward. "Tunes is right, Spindle. You sure got nothing to worry about no more."

Spindle stopped pacing at once upon hearing Grace's voice enter their conversation. Skipping all the niceties, Spindle zeroed in on the meaning of Grace's words. "Grace, what do you mean by that?"

Remembering the emptiness that she felt as she watched Jess leave the apartment that morning with Mr. O'Connor, Grace was able to fill her eyes with tears. Tears would be essential if her fib was to fool Spindle. "Well, you see, I dunno what happened last night or what, cause Jess never returned to the O'Connor's apartment last night. We were all worried but a couple of hours ago, one of the bulls that Mr. O'Connor was friendly with came by and gave us the news. It seems that she was found under an overturned carriage this morning," Grace lied as she thanked her lucky stars that she had been able to buy a paper from one of the newer newsies and had heard about the carriage accident from the night before, "The bulls think she ran in front of the carriage and didn't get away in time," she added with a convincing sniffle.

While all the other girls gasped and began to get upset over the "death" of their comrade, Spindle let out a laugh. "I'm just sorry that I wasn't the one that got to off the li'l goody-two-shoes, but as long as she's outta me hair, I'm satisfied," she said with a casual toss of said hair.

Quipster, Tunes, Moneybags, Corner, Iris, Dice and Grace all stood there with similiar shocked expressions on their faces, though no one actually said anything.

Spindle took their silence to be their acceptance and flounced off to tell Rip, who had just strolled up to the distribution center, the good news.

"Morning, Rip dear," she cooed as she gave him a peck on his cheek.

Rip, still annoyed at the note that Spindle had written him the night before, backed away. "What makes you so chipper, Spindle?" he asked suspiciously. Though she said she had forgiven him, he felt uneasy at the way she was acting so cozy with him so soon.

"Well, I just got a bit of - er, interesting news." she announced with a mischievious gleam in her emerald eyes. "It seems that your 'li'l Miss' was in an accident last night."

"An...an accident? What kind of accident?" Rip asked nervously as he felt the pit of his stomach drop down to his ankles.

Spindle grabbed a paper out of the stack in Braces's arms. "Extry, extry Rip. Li'l Miss Goody-two-shoes dies in horrific carriage accident," she said spitefully as she eagerly awaited Rip's response to her news.

Not willing to believe a word Spindle was saying, Rip snatched the paper from Spindle. His eyes skimmed the article rapidly, catching all the main points. _"Carriage overturned... Late last night...Freak accident...Young girl found underneath...No survivors..."_

_"No Survivors..."_ The one line of the article etched itself in Rip's memory as the meaning of the article and what Spindle had said sunk in. "Me...me...me 'li'l Miss' is gone. Gone, I just can't believe it..." he mumbled to himself before realizing that there was a crowd forming to see what his reaction would be.

The frenzied panic and look of defeat that had occupied Rip's blue eyes as he read the article quickly fled as their icy coolness returned. "Well, what's one less whore on the streets anyways? As long as I got me girl here with me." And, to everyone's surprise, he grabbed Spindle around her waist and gave her a long kiss.

Even as he was saying the words, words that shocked the crowd around the distribution center, Rip knew he could never mean any of them. And the kiss- all for show. But he had to watch his back. Without Jess around anymore, the only girl he had at the moment was Spindle. "Maybe she's right, maybe we will be together forever," he sighed as he pulled away from Spindle, tuning out the catcalls and cheers the other newsies were giving them.

"Goodbye Miss Jess," he whispered as he ignored the glowing look Spindle gave him as she started to drag him away from the rest of the crowd for a more private location. "Goodbye."


	26. Manhattan

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Manhattan**

Later that day, Jess, who had not been killed in a freak carriage accident, was looking around for a respectable place to stay. She had just set foot in Manhattan a little over an hour ago, and had had no success yet. "What was I thinking when I decided to come here?" she moaned as she realized what mess she had gotten herself into. She was miles away from her friends, family and the life she had always known.

Sighing in despair, upset at herself for giving up and running away from her problems, Jess sank down onto the dirty ground directly outside of a restaurant that was called Tibby's.

"Hey there, Cupcake. What's a perdy li'l thing like you doing down there?" drawled a young man, around seventeen years old or so, as he strolled up to her and extended his hand.

Jess flinched in memory of the last time she had been with Rip in their alley. "Hi," she whispered as she stood up on her own, refusing the stranger's hand.

The boy in front of her laughed confidently as he wiped a lock of his blonde hair out of his light green eyes, pushing his scratched glasses up his nose. "I see you don't need any of me help, then, do ya?"

Jess pushed her hair out of her face as she thought of an excuse to get away from the boy. "Naw, not really. I'll just be going now," she said with a note of panic in her voice. "What if this fella is just like Rip?" her brain screamed at her as she trembled slightly under his questioning gaze. As she stood there, she jerked as flashbacks of some of her more unmemorable experiences with Rip flashed before her eyes.

"Are you O.K.?" he asked as he noticed her shaking and her glazed over expression. He reached his hand out to give her right shoulder a gentle shake and was surprised when she tried to move herself away from his touch. "Is something wrong, Miss?"

The word set off a bell in her brain and her eyes snapped open. Not really paying attention to her surroundings, Jess was only able to comprehend one thing: She was standing near an alley, next to a strange guy, who had his hand on her injured shoulder.

"RUN" was the only word that came to her mind. She never wanted to be put in the situation where she could let someone take advantage of her, ever again.

Without even stopping to pick up her suitcase of belongings, Jess tore down the street. Though she had no clue to where she was going, considering she had never been to Manhattan before, she ran as if the devil himself was after her. "I'll take a turn down this block and run through this road and I'll make a right down this alley," she muttered to herself as she continued to speed through the streets. A quick look behind her told her that no one was following her, so Jess turned down one last alley and approached the corner, with the intent to catch her breath once she entered a well-lit area.

"O.K., I think that I'm safe now," she panted as she walked to the corner. But she stopped dead when she heard someone whistling. Jess paled. "Who is here, now?" she cried softly, praying that it was only another lost little girl like herself.

She turned the corner hesitantly and let out a gasp of surprise to see another young man, one around her age, wearing a cowboy hat over his sandy brown hair, with a red bandana knotted around his neck, twirling a lasso. Forgetting for the moment that she was trying to hide from all members of the opposite sex that she did not know, Jess stared at the fluid motions of the rope.

The young boy heard her gasp and dropped his rope. Lifting his head to look at the person that had actually found his "secret spot", he started to greet Jess.

Her heart still pounding from the sprint she had just finished, her shoulder still aching from Spindle's knife from the night before and her head still racing from all the new things she had encountered since leaving Queens early that morning, Jess did the only thing she could think of now that she had found herself face to face with a young man, alone down a secluded alley: She fainted.


	27. Understood

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Queens******

Once Grace was sure that Spindle and Rip were out of ear-shot and the crowd that had surrounded them dispersed, she turned to face the remaining girls at the distribution center. Still shocked at the news of Jess's untimely death, Quipster, Iris, Dice, Moneybags and Tunes stood there, mouths open in surprise. Before any of them could say anything, though, Grace began to giggle. "Girls, if you could only see the looks on you're faces."

Tunes recovered first. "What do you mean, Grace?"

"Yeah, how can you laugh at a time like this?" Dice questioned.

As Grace continued to laugh harder, enjoying the other girls' confusion, Iris looked hurt. "I thought that you and Jess were friends. How can you be so happy when she's dead?"

Grace stopped laughing long enough to address Iris. "She ain't dead."

"What do ya mean she ain't dead? I read that article in the pape. A girl was killed last night when that carriage overturned," Quipster said indignantly.

"Yeah, I know. Some girl did die last night, but it wasn't Jess," she chortled as she clapped Moneybags on the shoulder in an attempt to stay upright.

Moneybags shrugged out from under Grace's arm, trying to understand what Grace was saying. "I just don't get it, Grace. You told Spindle that Jess died last night but now you're telling us that she didn't die. If she didn't die, then what happened to her?"

Grace stopped laughing as she looked around her, her eyes taking in everything, making sure that no one would hear what she was going to say, if she chose to say it. "Should I tell these girls?" she questioned herself, "What if one of them tells Spindle?" Her eyes paused, lingering on the upset and confused yet eager expressions of her friends. "I don't think Jess would mind if they knew. After all, she may be in Manhattan for now, but when she comes back home, she's gonna want some of her friends to be there."

Double-checking once more that no one would overhear her confession, Grace motioned for the other girls to come closer. "I take it that you all know what happened yesterday between Jess, Spindle and Rip?"

Corner looked at Grace and gasped. "It's true then? Our Jess went after Spindle's guy? I don't believe it."

Grace hushed her as she began to whisper again. "Shh, Corner. What I'm telling you all now is that you shouldn't believe it. Something bad happened and I myself don't understand it all. All I know is that it wasn't safe for Jess to be here in Queens no more."

"Well, if she ain't dead, then where is she?" Iris whispered back, thankful to know that her friend hadn't been killed in a freak accident.

"Now, if I tell you girls this, you gotta swear that you won't tell Spindle or Rip or any one else, alright?" Grace said seriously. When all the other girls nodded enthusiastically, with Tunes crossing her fingers over her heart, Grace continued. "Jess went to Manhattan for a bit. She's gonna write to the O'Connor's when she settles in and tell them about what's going on over there. Then we're gonna send letters to her. When everything dies down over here, she's gonna come back. Now, she probably ain't gonna come back until Spindle's gone, otherwise Spindle will try to kill her again. That's why it's so important that Spindle don't know what happened to Jess, alright?"

"Sure, Grace, you're secret is safe with us," Moneybags promised solemnly as the other girls nodded in acceptance to Grace's request.

But there was one person who had stood outside their conversation, hearing every whispered word. This one person had not promised to keep this information from Spindle. Yet, this person was not intending to tell Spindle.

Instead, Danger backed away from the girls and began to walk towards the Newsboys' Lodging House with the intent to wait for Rip to return from his romp with Spindle, "I'd better tell Rip that his "li'l Miss" is just fine and dandy. He'll be so happy and a happy Rip is a Rip that I can live with."


	28. Spindle, III

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**The ****Queens**** Newsboys' Lodging House**

Meanwhile, at the Newsboys' Lodging House, Spindle and Rip had taken occupancy up in one of the two sick rooms. Eager to experience what she had been missing for the past three weeks, Spindle had wasted no time in dragging Rip into the sick room and stripping out of her clothes. Rip, before losing himself in the forced passion of the moment, couldn't help to think how different Jess and Spindle were. "Me 'li'l Miss' always looked like a li'l angel." he thought wistfully as he felt Spindle reach down to unbutton his pants while kissing his neck. "Spindle is just so hardened and tough but at least she's here now." He sighed as he felt his pants fall to the floor. "And it's better to have someone than no one, right?" was the last thought he had before Spindle took it upon herself to pleasure him everyway she knew how.

When they had finished, they laid side by side, naked, under a thin blanket on the bed. "I love you, Rip," Spindle whispered throatily as she snuggled close up to him, putting her hand on his bare chest. "I know that Jess had never made him feel like a real man," she added to herself, feeling satisfied that she, once again, was Rip's one and only girl.

"I...I love you too, Spindle," he said, with a slight distaste in his mouth. It didn't seem right to be saying those words to anyone else. His body tingled as he felt Spindle's hand travel down from his chest to his lower regions. Obviously she was raring to go again. Rip chuckled to himself as he remembered some of the nights he had shared with Spindle before he had met Jess. "I forgot what a tiger Spindle was."

Spindle, taking Rip's chuckles to be a good sign, sat up in the bed and climbed on top of Rip. Straddling him so that she faced forward, Spindle leaned over slightly and ran her fingers through his hair. "Are you up for another round?" she asked with a hint of uncontrollable lust in her voice.

Glad to have something to keep his mind off of the unpleasant news he had received only an hour or so before, Rip went to answer Spindle's question with a kiss. As he reached up to meet her face, he was interrupted when Danger came barging through the door, followed by two very muscular looking newsies.

"Rip, I just can't wait to talk to you any longer," he cried before ducking to cover his eyes. Danger had been waiting outside the door to the sick room ever since arriving at the lodging house. Two other newsies, Rocks and Shifty, had warned him about what Rip and Spindle had gone into the sick room to do. As the three of them had sat there outside the door, Rocks and Shifty guarding the door under Rip's orders, and Danger waiting for Rip to emerge, they heard grunts and moans that assured them that Rip and Spindle were having a good time.

After the moans and groans had subsided, Danger waited to see if they would restart. When it remained quiet, he had taken the plunge and darted across the bunkroom towards the sick room, with Rocks and Shifty on his tail.

As Spindle shrieked and ducked under the covers, Rip sat up and faced the three intruders. "Explain," he stated, his icy eyes sending chills down their spines.

"I'm sorry Rip, but me and Shifty weren't prepared for him to run in here like that," Rocks said uncomfortably as he scratched his head.

"That's O.K., boys. You two just go out there and make sure that no one else comes in here. Danger, what is the meaning of this? As you can see, I'm kinda busy," he said, gesturing toward Spindle. Spindle shot Danger hate-filled looks as she pointed to her shirt that had been carelessly discarded when she had entered the room.

Danger gulped as he saw Spindle's expression and understood what her point meant. If he wasn't careful he was going to get to meet her knife, personally. Fixing Rip with a heated gaze, pointedly avoiding Spindle's murderous looks, Danger addressed Rip. "I know that you probably don't wanna be disrupted or nothing but I gotta tell you something real important. In private," he added, trying not to offend Spindle, but making sure that Rip knew it was something that she shouldn't hear.

Spindle clutched Rip's arm when she felt him start to reach for his pants. "But, Rip... I want you to stay here in bed, with me..." she whined. She didn't know what Danger had to say, but she knew she didn't want Rip to hear it.

Shaking Spindle's arm off of his, Rip pulled his pants on and climbed out of bed. "I'm sorry Spindle, but if one of the boys says that it's important, I gotta hear what he's gotta say. Surely you understand that, right, my girl?" he drawled as he rubbed his hand across her cheek and smiled. She was so predictable; All he had to do was tell her that she was his girl and she melted. It always worked.

This time was no different. "O.K., Rip. I'll be waiting for you right here," she cooed as she batted her eyelashes and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively as Rip and Danger tried not to laugh out loud.

Once Rip had pulled on his shoes and a shirt, he followed Danger out of the sick room, past the bunkroom and into the lobby. "O.K., Danger. What's so important that you had to interrupt me while I was in bed?"

Danger's brown eyed glowed as he told Rip what he had overheard that morning at the distribution center. "So, you see, Rip, Jess ain't dead like Spindle thinks. She's just hiding out over in Manhattan so that Spindle don't make her dead."

Rip had sat in silence during Danger's re-telling of the morning's events, but he found himself no longer able to sit still, much less stay silent. "Then what am I doing here in Queens? I need to go to Manhattan and bring her back here. She can't hide from me," he said as he turned to leave the lodging house.

Danger sat, dumb-struck, as he watched Rip walk out the door. After sitting by himself for ten minutes, thinking about what had just happened and how Rip had just taken off to go to Manhattan, Danger jerked as a sudden realization hit him. "What about Spindle?"


	29. Newsies

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Manhattan**

Jess regained consciousness just as she felt herself being carried into a dark building. Too scared to scream, she clamped her eyes shut, praying that it was all a dream. "The last thing I remember was being alone in that alley with that guy... Oh, no. What is he gonna do to me?" she thought to herself as her heart pounded heavier and more rapidly than it ever had before.

Though she had her eyes closed, she could hear everything that was going on around her. She could feel herself being carried up a flight of stairs while the silence of the building echoed around her. She felt the person carrying her pause as he presumably opened a door, then continued walking. Just as she felt herself being lowered onto a bed, she heard a voice cry out, "Cowboy, what do you got there?"

"Cowboy? Who's Cowboy?" It dawned on Jess that she must have been brought to the building by the boy she had seen in that alley. After all, he was twirling a lasso; Who else would you be be twirling a lasso in New York?

"Heya Race? Is anyone else here? King or anyone?" a panicked voice responded as he walked away from the bed he had laid Jess on.

"Naw, Cowboy. The only ones in the lodging house right now are me and Kloppy." Jess could hear the puzzled note in the second boy's voice.

"Well, can you get him for me? She's got a nasty cut on her shoulder and she's pretty banged up. I think I'm gonna need a bit of help."

"Sure thing. I'll be right back." Jess could hear the footsteps as the echoed down the hall and ran down the stairs.

"How does he know about me shoulder?" she wondered. She opened her eyes slightly to see her shirt was slightly disheveled in a way that revealed the hastily tied bandage from the night before. Trying not to draw attention to herself, she turned her head slowly to catch a glimpse of her rescuer, for she no longer feared him. Though she was a bit preoccupied of why he had brought him back to, what did he say - his lodging house?, she knew that he was only doing it to help her. After all, she had fainted right in front of him and he hadn't left her there by herself.

"Awww... I see that you're awake there, missy," the boy said, a smile of relief evident on his face.

Obviously her actions had not gone unnoticed. Jess blushed as she felt his eyes on her. "Yeah, I guess I am. I'm sorry, but who are you?"

The boy laughed, his brown eyes twinkling as he did so. "The name's Jack Kelly, but everyone calls me Cowboy. What do they call you, kid?"

Though she was tired, achey, homesick and had just been rescued by this... this Cowboy, Jess felt her defenses rise. "First of all, you don't look any older than me, so I don't know who you're calling 'kid'," she retorted as she automatically raised her hands to her face in case he got mad. It was a gesture she had learned from her experience with Rip; whenever she had let her temper flare and talked back to him, he had felt the need to teach her a lesson.

Jack's sarcastic response died on his lips when he saw the girl in front of him raise her arms up in defense. His eyes lingered on her black eye, swollen cheek and the cut on her shoulder. "She's been through the mill, this one." He sighed as he sat down by her bunk and guided her hands back to her side. "O.K., I'm gonna start over. My name is Jack, and I'm thirteen years old. I live hear in the Manhattan Newsboys Lodging House with all of my fellow newsies. The leader here is a guy named King, who you'll meet later," he said this all in one quick breathe, stopping briefly to take another before continuing, "And you are?"

Jess blushed again as she extended her hand to shake Jack's. "Nice to meet you, Jack. My name is Jess and I'm from Queens. Well, Sligo, Ireland and then Queens -- but now I came to live here in Manhattan for a li'l bit," she whispered as she regretted snapping at him in the first place. "This guy just carried you through half of Manhattan, the least you could do is thank him," her conscience whispered to her. Always one to listen to her good side, Jess looked up at Jack. "I'm sorry about being nasty, Jack, but once I got here, I got attacked by this guy and I just ran. I ran and ran and ran until I got to that alley where you saw me. My nerves just got the best of me and I guess I passed out. Thank you for bringing me here." She turned her head away as she felt herself going soft. "I just can't let down my guard, even if he seems nice. Remember, Rip seemed nice at first too."

Jack opened his mouth to respond and was cut off when a short kid with dark hair came running in followed by an older man with white hair and glasses. "I'm here, Jack. And I brought Kloppy with me," the short kid said as he rushed in and ran to Jack's side.

"Another stray, Cowboy?" the older man said with a smile as he brought a wet rag to Jess's forehead.

"Kloppman, Race, this is Jess. She found me when I was out today practicing me rope tricks and passed out when I looked at her. I didn't know what happened, so I brought her back here with me," Jack said, gesturing to Jess on the bunk.

Race laughed as he looked from Jack to Jess. "Didn't know you had that kind of effect on the girls, Jacky-Boy," he cracked as he dodged a playful slap from Jack.

"Shut up, Race. Anyways, Kloppy, do you think she'll be O.K.?" he asked anxiously as he wrung his hands.

Jess grew hot all over at these three guys watching her as she laid immobile in some boy's bunk. Screwing up her courage she went to tell them all that she was fine, but stopped when Kloppman gingerly toucher her injured shoulder. "I'm fi--OWWW! What did you do that for?" she cried, her eyes flashing golden.

Kloppman chuckled as he made to undo her home-made bandage. "Got into some sort of fight I see," he joked before he saw the gash. He drew in a breath when he saw the severity of the wound. "My dear, what happened here? Race, get me another wet cloth and some fresh bandages. You don't want this to get infected, do you?" he asked as he saw her face.

"Naw, but I'm fine, honest," she tried before Kloppman cut her off with a shake of his head, as Race came storming back into the room.

"Sure you're fine. In that case, how did you get that nasty shiner? And I'm sure that girls always faint for no reason?" he stated as he washed her cut with the new rag and tied a new bandage on her shoulder.

Jess winced slightly at the pressure he applied but said nothing. Everything the older man was saying was making sense, but her pride kept her from saying so.

"So, Kloppy? Is it O.K. if Jess stays here for the night? She ain't in no shape to be wandering around New York," Jack added as he pointed to the rags and her bloody bandages that were in Kloppman's hands.

Kloppman looked over at the frail child in front of him and sighed. "I dunno, Cowboy. You know the rules. No girls in the lodging house over night."

Jack shook his head stubbornly; he refused to take no for an answer. "Awww, c'mon Kloppy. I'll show her the Bottle Alley Lodging House tomorrow where all the other girls stay. Besides, it's just one night." Jack poked Race in the side, obviously looking for some help.

Race jumped at the sudden jab but came to Jack's aid. "Yeah, Kloppman. It's only the one night."

Kloppman sighed as he nodded. "Alright, boys. If King says it's fine, then it's fine with me."

The four of them all jumped as a fifth voice rang out in the bunkroom. "What's fine if I say so?" it questioned before it's owner, a tall boy with blonde hair and green eyes, entered the doorway.

Before any of the other boys in the room could acknowledge his presence, Jess jumped up in her new bed and shrieked. "It's you!" she cried as she pointed to the boy. He stopped in his tracks as all of them turned to look at Jess's fearful face. As the new boy walked over to her side, Jess gulped and turned to face him defiantly. Her strength lasted only seconds before she gave in to the overwhelming urge to pass out.

"Jess?!" Jack cried as he lurched forward to see his new charge faint for the second time that day. He gently shook her, trying to get her to awake. When it failed to work, he turned to the cause of her passing out.

"King? What did yo do to her?" he hissed, ignoring the fact that he was speaking to the leader of the lodging house, an accomplished street fighter four years his senior, with disrespect.

King, his eyes full of confusion, shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, Cowboy. I don't even know this girl." He leaned over to get a better look at the girl that lay sleeping in Jack's bunk and jumped when he recognized her. "Wait a second, I do know her. That's the girl that ran away from me in Newsies Square this afternoon. I wondered what happened to her," he mumbled as he pushed his hair out of his eyes again and threw down the suitcase that was in his left hand.

"I can tell you exactly what happened to her. She ended up running all the way to me secret spot. I guess the surprise o' meeting someone after running down all dose alleyways was just too much for her cause when she saw me she fainted. I got nervous so I carried her all the way back to the lodging house. She's all bruised and beaten and has got a gash on her shoulder a couple of inches long from a knife fight. She ain't in no shape to be wandering around New York, so I just asked Kloppy if she could stay here for the night and I'll take her to Bottle Alley tomorrow. Kloppy says it was up to you. Whaddya say, King?" he asked politely, trying to make up from his earlier rude remarks.

King glanced over at Jess once more before shrugging his shoulders again. "Sure, Cowboy, she can stay here. But, I'm gonna find out why she fainted when I walked in the door. I understand why she fainted when she saw you, but I'm actually good-looking," King said playfully as he sat down on the bunk next to Jess's, out of reach from any retaliation from Jack.

Jack chuckled as he sat on the floor next to the bunk and waited for Jess to awake. He knew from past experience that the girl didn't stay unconscious for long.


	30. Crash

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Back in ****Queens******

****

_Crash._ "Where the hell is he!"

_Bang._ "I'm gonna kill him!"

_Boom._ "How dare he do this to me!"

Those sounds and more were heard coming from the spare bedroom in the Queen's Lodging House for Girls. Standing in the adjoined bunkroom, the rest of the girls stood, ears pressed to the door.

"Hiya girls! What's going on here?" Tunes said in her typically musical voice as she flounced into the bunkroom, fresh from her date with one the newest newsies in town, Froggy.

"Shhh! Be quiet, would you?" glared Moneybags as she pointed to the closed door of the spare room that was usually vacant, only occupied when a guest would spend the night.

"Sorry." Tunes whispered as she walked over to join the five other apprehensive-looking girls that were frozen in place. She turned to face Iris. "Why are we hiding outside this door, Iris?"

Iris shook her head gently, her glasses sliding down the edge of her nose. Dice, noticing her friend's inability to answer Tunes's question, responded softly. "Spindle's been in there for the last couple of hours, screaming her head off and throwing things around."

"Wha- why- who?" Tunes's stumbled incoherently, not grasping Dice's words. Her concentration kept getting thrown off due to the loud bangs and crashes coming from the inside of the room.

Quipster looked over at Tunes and covered her mouth with her hand. "Tunes, hush up. We don't want Spindle to know that we're out here. She might take her anger out on us."

Tunes, taken aback at first by Quipster's gesture, retaliated by biting her hand. As Quipster shrieked and pulled her hand away from Tunes' sharp incisors, Tunes laughed. "Tastes just like chicken." she joked, ignoring the fact that everything around her had gone quiet.

"What's a matter, Corner?" she questioned as she turned, her back to the door of the spare room, to face her paled comrade.

Corner's only response was to turn and point at the door over Tunes' shoulder.

A door that had just creaked open.


	31. Stress

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Manhattan******

"What...what...what happened?" Jess stammered out as she regained consciousness an hour or so later. Jack, the only occupant still in the bunkroom, was still sitting on the floor next to her bunk, reading one of the newspapers that he had neglected to sell that morning.

"Hi dear, Jess. Up 'gain so soon?" he asked with a smile as he got up to sit on the bunk with her.

Jess shook her head as she attempted to sit up, using her left hand to push herself into a sitting position. "Don't be so smart, mister Cowboy." she said as a smile lit up her face.

Jack laughed out loud, relieved to see that the girl could smile. And she must be feeling better if she could already zing him within seconds of waking up. "I'm so sorry, Miss Jess--"

He stopped suddenly when he noticed that Jess had lost all color in her cheeks and had refrained from smiling, instead looking horrified at his words.

"What's the matter, Jess. Did I say something wrong? Do you need anything?" he asked as he jumped off the bunk and backed away slowly, prepared to run for help if she needed it.

"No." she said softly and faintly. "Just please, please, please don't ever call me that. Please..." she pleaded as her eyes clouded over and, with a gentle shake of her head, covered her face with her mane of long curls.

Though Jack didn't know what it was that he had said, or why she was acting all stressed out, he nodded as he leaned over and brushed her hair out of her face. "Is there something wrong with your name, Jess?"

She backed away from his touch; He could feel her body trembling and was surprised to see her tense up even further at their close contact. Jack took a step back but left his eyes on her. "Well, I think we're going to have to give you a new name then."

"Really?" she finally answered, not necessarily meeting his eyes, but relaxing visibly now that he had backed off.

"Really. How about--" Jack's suggestion went unheard when King re-entered the bunkroom, on his way too see if the stray Cowboy had found had awoken yet.

"Say Cowboy, do we still got a 'Sleeping Beauty' on our hands?" he joked as he walked through the door.

"It's you!" Jess cried again as she backed away as far as she could, before hitting the head of her bunk.

"Oh, not this again. Let me ask you a question, Cupcake, why did you run away from me this afternoon?" King said before Jess could faint again.

Jess looked towards Jack for help and was discouraged when he shrugged. "I thought he was going to be me pal..." she thought to herself before facing the blonde-haired newsie. "Me name ain't Cupcake and I think the better question would be: Why did you try to attack me?"

King looked puzzled as he started to walk towards her bunk, but stopped when she tried to back away again, resulting in her hitting her head against the wall. "What are you talking about? I was just trying to get you off the ground and you ran." He stooped down and picked something up off the ground before handing it to Jack. "Here, Cowboy, I think you should give this to her. It's your suitcase, Cup- Jess. You left it behind. I was going to see if dear was anything that was worth loot in there, but I didn't get the chance. Good thing since Cowboy found you and brought you back to the lodging house."

Though she didn't entirely trust Jack yet, King was correct in assuming that she would be more comfortable with Jack approaching her bed than him.

Just as Jess was accepting her suitcase from Jack, two more newsies entered the bunkroom: the short, dark-haired one that Jess recognized as Race and a blonde-haired newsie wearing an eye patch.

"Damn you Race, you've won," the blonde-haired newsie said as he slapped his buddy playfully on the cheek.

King turned to face the two younger newsies, momentarily forgetting his problem that lay in the third bunk from the left. "Race, Blink, what are you two going on about?"

Blink stepped forward as he removed his brown newsies hat and ran his hand through his hair and shot a charming grin in Jess's direction. "You see, King. Race bet me two bits that Jack had found a perdy li'l thing in an alley and brought her back to the lodging house with him. I didn't think that Jack would do that, so I bet him, and I guess I lost." He walked over to Jess's bunk and bowed. "Hi there, my name is Kid Blink and you are?"

Before Jess could answer, Race walked over and pushed Blink to the side. "What would your li'l friend, Martini say if she saw you flirting with this girl?" he asked as he turned to face Jess. "Don't mind him, dear. Me name is Race, pleasure to meet you."

Blink laughed as he gave Race a playful shove back. "'About the same thing Bookie would see if she saw you."

King rolled his eyes as he turned to leave the bunkroom. The insanity was too much for him sometimes.

Jack just sighed at the playful antics at two of his closest friends. He was relieved to see that their gags had at least gotten another smile out of Jess, who had relaxed again once King had left the room. "Hey, Blink, Race, you two are just in time to help find a name for our li'l friend here."

Blink looked puzzled. "Doesn't she have a name?"

"Sure, I got a name, but I think that it's better if I don't use it. No questions." she added so firmly that the three boys nodded.

"How about Cupcake?" Jack said with a smile. "Just kidding!" he added as he saw the looks that Jess was giving him.

"How about Bruises?" Blink stated thoughtfully as he took in her battered appearance.

"How about Crazy? That's how she's been acting ever since you found her, eh Cowboy?" Race offered.

"Naw, she ain't been acting crazy, just stressed out. Hey, that's it - Stress." Jack proclaimed as he snapped his fingers.

"Stress? You know what, I like it. It rhymes with me real name too." she acknowledged, smiling once more.

"In that case, Stress, welcome to Manhattan." Jack said, as he extended his hand for a handshake.

And for once she didn't flinch, move away or look frightened. With a confident smile firmly in place, Stress clasped Jack's hand and gave it a shake. "Tis nice to be here, Jack."


	32. Spindle, IV

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Queens******

Tunes, Corner, Quipster, Moneybags, Iris and Dice all jumped back as the door to the spare room opened and Spindle walked out, leaving the disaster in the room in her wake.

With her face stained with the black of her mascara and her red hair sticking out at odd angles from her head, disheveled and messy, Spindle gave the impression of a psychotic person. Her tone of voice did nothing to disprove that image. "So what are all you girlies doing out here?' she asked, no emotion in her voice, though her eyes glittered maliciously.

Quipster recovered first. "Uh-- nothing Spindle. Umm-- How are you?"

"Fine, Quip, just fine."

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but what is that all about?" Moneybags asked as she slyly hid behind Corner in case Spindle's response involved a fist to the face. She was very touchy when it came to people prying in her business.

"You wanna know? You really wanna know?" Spindle asked, sounding very tired, not at all like her usual self.

"Yeah, we - um- wanna know, only cause we care so much about you," Tunes added, trying to appease Spindle with flattery.

Usually Spindle was too smart to see through the kind of ploy that Tunes was setting up, but she was either too angry or too upset to catch onto Tunes insincerity. "I'm gonna kill him," she whispered as she stalked over to her bunk and flopped down.

"Umm- Spindle? This wouldn't have nothing to do with Rip now, would it?" Iris asked hesitantly, knowing full well that Rip was the only one that would launch Spindle into such a tizzy that a whole room would be destroyed.

"He's gone. He went to talk to Danger and he told me he'd be right back and now he's gone. After waiting for him in his bed for over an hour, I had to find Danger to get him to tell me that Rip had left. Can ya believe that? Just up and left and didn't tell no one," she fumed, banging her fists against the side of her bunk in anger.

"Don't you worry Spindle. He's probably just going to take care of some important guy stuff," Dice offered.

"Just when I finally get that li'l Goody Goody outta me hair, I got to worry about him looking for some more sugar on the side," Spindle spat out, oblivious to the looks that were passed between all of the other girls in the room.

Taking a deep breath, Quipster looked over at Spindle and nodded. "Spindle, I gotta tell you something."


	33. Cowboy

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Manhattan**

That night was one of the happier ones Stress had had in a long time. After getting to know Jack, Race and Blink a little better, they set up a card table and taught her the basics of poker, introducing her to all of the newsies as they came into the bunkroom for the night.

When it approached midnight, Stress had learned the name of almost all of the newsies in the lodging house, lost all of her money to Race and had pretty much become glued to Jack's side. Though she no longer acted afraid around any new male she met that night, save King who she was still wary of though she believed he had tried to help instead of hurt her when they met outside Tibby's, she only felt safe when she was with Jack. Maybe it was because it was he who had found her, it was he who had named her or because it was he who went out of his way to make sure she was comfortable, but Stress obviously was most at ease when he was by her side. Though she had only known him for that one day, it was evident that there was a close friendship blossoming between the two thirteen year old newsies.

"Alright fellas. It's time to turn in. Don't forget you still got to sell your papes tomorrow," Kloppman's voice called as he attempted to break up the little poker party that had started.

"Hey, what about me?" Stress called back, beginning to act like her old self now that she felt safe. "I ain't a fella!"

"You sure ain't," cracked another young newsie, one nicknamed Mush, as he looked her over.

Stress laughed along with the rest as Jack reached over and slapped Mush playfully on the cheek. "Hey, watch it Mush. Treat the lady with some respect, eh?"

Kloppman shook his head as he entered the bunkroom. "Sorry, li'l lady, I didn't forget about you. Actually, I was just coming up here to give you a bit of bad news. You see, we never have girls stay over, but we still have a sick room in case of an emergency. Unfortunately one of the boys came down with something so it's in use and we ain't got no free bunks this time of year."

Stress nodded as she listened to Kloppman's apologies. "Umm-- where do I sleep then?"

Kloppman looked around nervously as he removed his hat and scratched his head. "As much as I hate to say it, I guess your best bet would be to share one of the bunks with a boy."

Stress stopped nodding and looked down at the ground. She wasn't sure she was prepared to be so close to another boy so soon. After all, it was only that morning that she had left Queens to escape Rip. "What if one of these boys turns out to be just like him?" she muttered as she purposely did not make eye contact with anyone.

As cries of "she can share me bunk" and "no, mine" were head ringing throughout the bunkroom, Jack took a second to sneak a look at Stress's face. "Oh, boy, she looks so scared and young," he said to himself before he walked to her side and put his hand on her left shoulder. "It's OK, Kloppy. Stress can have me bunk. I'll sleep on the floor."

Kloppman raised his eyebrow at the Cowboy's sudden move towards selflessness. "If you say so, Cowboy. Boys, and lady", he added with a smile as he replaced his hat and tipped it in Stress's direction, "I think it's time to go to sleep. I'll be waking you up bright and early tomorrow morning. Good night."

All the boys mumbled and grumbled as they folded the poker table and slowly got ready to go to bed. Jack got up and gently led Stress to his lower bunk. "This is me bunk. Sorry that it's a lower bunk, but you don't get a top bunk until you're sixteen or seventeen. King's rule."

Without even changing from her blouse and skirt, Stress climbed into the bunk as she averted her eyes when Jack stripped down to his long-john underwear. When the lights were turned off for the night, Jack took his place on one of the spare blankets on the floor.

Ten or so minutes later, Jack was still lying awake, staring at the ceiling. "It's so peaceful here when I'm the only one awake," he murmured to himself as he turned to look up at Stress, hoping to see her sleeping peacefully. She seemed to be so two-sided. One second she could be so strong and confident, joking and laughing along with the rest of them all. But the next minute, she would look so afraid and so young; It was almost as if there was something she was hiding from. "But what?' he thought to himself as he propped himself on his elbows to see her face more clearly.

"Geez-- don't do that to me!" he whispered fiercely when he saw her staring down at him. He slipped of his elbows and fell down onto his back.

"Sorry, Jack. I just wanted to tell you how glad I am that you was the one that found me," she said shyly, fighting back a giggle, as she brushed her hair out of her face.

"No problem, Stress. It was me pleasure," Jack replied, sitting straight up so that they were facing each other, eye to eye.

"Well, um, ya see, I don't know how I know I can trust you, but I really think I can, so if you want--" Stress started, rambling on in that manner until Jack's chuckles interrupted her. Blushing slightly, she paused and tried again. "That floor don't look so comfortable, so I was thinking, if you're OK with out, you could share your bunk with me."

Jack was delighted at the suggestion but did not want to appear too eager for fear of upsetting her. "If you're sure that you won't be too scared of me, I'd love too."

"Oh, is there a reason why I should be scared?" she said coyly, not sounding like the shy, little girl he had rescued that afternoon.

As Jack got up and shimmied under the blanket, making sure that he wasn't too close to her, he laughed. "Nope, not at all, Stressie."

"Stressie?" she said, turning on her side to look at Jack.

It was Jack's turn to blush furiously as he lay flat on his back and looked up at the bottom of King's bunk. "Well, it just sounds a bit softer than Stress. You don't mind, do you?"

"Naw, it's a cute nickname for me new name. Thanks again."

"Is it OK if I ask you a question?"

"What's on your mind, Jack?"

"It's just that, you see, it kinda seems like you're hiding something. I mean, you're covered in bruises and cuts and all and I was wondering why. What are you running from, Stressie?"

Stress flopped onto her back and answered in a cold voice. "No questions, Cowboy. I'm here in Manhattan now and that's it."

Jack mentally smacked himself for bringing up an obviously touchy subject. "And I, for one, am very glad that you're here," he said as he put his hand on hers in a gesture of support.

"Thanks, Jack. Now let's get some shut eye." she said as she clamped her eyes shut and pretended to fall asleep, making sure that she didn't move her hand out from under Jack's. It was a cozy position she didn't want to break. It made her feel far safer than she had in a long time.

It was hours after Jack had began to snore gently that Stress was finally able to fall asleep. She was kept up by the multitude of thoughts that swarmed through her mind. "I wonder how Grace and the O'Connor's and all of me pals are doing with out me... I wonder how Rip took the news of me untimely demise... I can't believe that I lucked out and found me a new friend my first day in Manhattan... He's a cutie ain't he?" Stress laughed to herself at the last thought she had before falling asleep. "Yeah, a cutie indeed."


	34. Crazy

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**The Next Morning **

"Blink! King! Fellas! Ya gotta get up! The ink is wet, the presses are rolling!" Kloppman called as he made his daily rounds of waking the sleepy newsies up to go the distribution center. "Sell a paper! Sell a pape! Morning dear, Stress is it now? Sleep well Cowboy?" he added with a wink as he saw that Jack had spent the night, not on the floor, but in the bunk.

Stress turned over and covered her head with the pillow. "I don't want to sell papes today," she complained, her voice muffled by the pillow.

Jack sat up and started to tickle Stress until she gave up and rose from the bunk. "Nuh-uh, Stressie. You're gonna sell with me today and that's that."

She groaned, but reluctantly arose from the bunk. Picking up her suitcase and heading to one of the toilets, Stress turned around and gave Jack a playful shove. "Ya know, I don't think so, Jacky-Boy." she cooed before she walked off, leaving Jack to be teased by his fellow newsies.

King started in on him first as he jumped from his top bunk to land by the side of Jack's lower one. "Nice going Cowboy. You've known her one day and you already got her in bed with you. I wish I was the one that found that girl yesterday."

"It ain't like that King, so just stop it. She felt bad and let me share the bunk with her, but don't get no ideas. I was a perfect gentleman."

"Sureowboy, sure." Mush said as he clapped him in the shoulder.

"Do you really think that we're that stupid, Jacky?" Race said as he slyly jabbed Jack in the side.

"I don't know about him, but I think you're that stupid if you think that Jack got anything you don't got, except for manners of course," Stress said as she exited the bathroom, wearing her navy blue skirt with a white blouse. She left her hair down, but had washed her face. The black eye was subsiding and the swelling of her right cheek had gone down considerably. And know that she had calmed down a bit from the day before, the newsies could see what a difference her smile made to alter her appearance in a more positive light. And right then she was smiling mischievously.

Approaching the crowd of boys around Jack, ignoring the whistles the other newsies gave her, Stress shot them all an innocent smile. "Now, before you all started attacking Jack here with questions about last night, I believe I was looking for a selling partner for today."

She giggled as the boys all started clamoring for her attention. Only two boys, Jack and King, had backed off. King pulled on his shirt and pants, slipped on his suspenders and left the bunkroom, all the while shaking his head. "It's amazing how one girl can make so many of me boys lose their mind."

Jack pulled on his vest and let his red bandana hang around his neck. "Maybe I should have been a li'l nicer to her and she would have sold with me. I thought we could have been friends. Ah, hell..." he muttered as he started to follow King down the lodging house stairs.

Stress stopped smiling when she saw Jack edge towards the bunkroom door. Brushing her hair out of her eyes, she made her way through the crowd and stopped him at the door. "You don't wanna sell with me, Cowboy?" she pouted with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"You're gonna drive me crazy, girly," he announced with a laugh as he patted her head, running his fingers through her curls.

"I know." she said as she bounded down the stairs leaving Jack behind. "It sure is great having a boy who can be your friend and you don't got to worry about him taking part of you that you don't want to give," she told herself as she waited for Jack to take her to the distribution center. She was lonely without her friends, but Jack and his pals were doing all they could to make her feel at home. And she was glad.


	35. Selling

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**At the ****Distribution********Center******

After buying only twenty papes apiece, Jack took Stress off to the side to explain to her their plans for the day. "OK, I only wanted to sell a couple of papes today to see how good you are at selling. After we're done, I'm gonna bring you over to the Bottle Alley Lodging House. They just opened up and there is only like three or four other girls that live there. They're all newsies too, so even though you'll live there, you'll still have the chance to see me at work," he said smugly as he brushed a lock of light brown hair out of his eyes.

Stress had stopped listening after he had made the comment about seeing if she sold well or not. "I'll have you know Mister Cowboy, that I was a pretty good newsie back in Queens," she seethed, her pride more wounded than her shoulder was. She huffed as she stalked over to the first well-dressed man she saw. She curtsied as she approached him. "Morning, sir. Would you care to buy a newspaper this lovely morning?" she asked politely.

The man smiled in response, surprised that a common street rat could be so polite. "Sure, sweetie. I'll buy the lot. How many do you have?"

Stress continued to smile and bat her eyelashes. "I have twenty newspapers, sir."

"Well, then here is two dollars for you. I'll give these to my colleagues down at the office. Have a nice day dear." He said as he handed her two crisp dollar bills.

"The same to you, sir." Stress curtsied once more, before turning to face her partner, triumphantly. "Do you' think I'll be able to sell twenty papes all by myself, Jacky?"

Jack just stood there, mouth wide open, not responding. Stress laughed out loud before grabbing onto the sleeve of Jack's shirt and dragging him off to sell his stack of papers.

Considering that Stress sold all of her papers in one shot, the two of them finished selling early and headed off towards the Bottle Alley Lodging House.

"You see, Stressie, there is two lodging houses for the newsgirls in Manhattan. There is the Harbor lodging house and the Bottle Alley lodging house. The one near Bottle Alley just opened up and a couple of my pals already live there," Jack explained as he showed her the way. "It ain't too far from my lodging house and it's run by a real nice lady, Mrs. Cook."

Stress nodded as she hoped that the butterflies in her stomach settled. She had never been good at making friends with other girls. She preferred to be part of a tight-knit group of people that she could trust, like Grace. "Be brave." she told herself as she set her eyes upon the Bottle Alley Lodging House entrance sign for the first time. She took a deep breath and followed Jack inside.


	36. Quipster

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Queens******

Upon hearing Quipster speak, Spindle's eyes flashed and she turned to face her. "Yes, Quipster? What do you gotta tell me?"

"Uh-well..." she stammered, stalling for time. On the one hand, Quipster wanted to be the loyal follower and tell her leader all she knew, yet on the other hand, she _did_ promise Grace that she wouldn't tell anyone about Jess going to Manhattan. "Damn me! What a time to develop a conscience!" she muttered as she ducked Spindle's glare.

"Ummm- what Quipster is trying to say is that - uh..." Tunes tried to come up with a believable story and slumped her shoulders when she came up with nothing.

"Well, what is it?" Spindle cried impatiently, tapping her foot.

Dice jumped in. "We know where Rip went."

Iris looked puzzled. "We do? I mean, yeah we do!" she amended her statement when she saw the looks that Quipster, Tunes, Moneybags, Corner and Dice were shooting her.

"If you girls don't tell me where Rip went and now, I'm gonna do something I'm gonna regret." Spindle's threat hung in the air ominously as she reached in her shirt pocket and pulled out her pocketknife.

The presence of the pocketknife wasn't lost on any of the newsies surrounding Spindle. After exchanging a quick look between each other, Corner opened her mouth. "Rip went to go buy you a present" she blurted out.

The lie might have worked to fool Spindle if it wasn't for one thing: At the same time that Corner's tale spilled from her lips, Moneybags came up with one of her own. "Rip went to visit some of his friends in Harlem."

Spindle stopped for a second, confused at the two conflicting stories she heard. As Dice, Iris, Tunes and Quipster all groaned inwardly, Spindle looked bewildered. "Say that again."

Stepping forward, a brilliant idea in her mind, Quipster shot a winning smile at Spindle. "What Moneybags and Corner meant to say is that Rip went back to Harlem to visit his friends to get advice on what to buy you for a present."

Spindle smiled as she accepted Quipster's version of what happened to Rip. It just goes to show how insecure Spindle was: As long as someone reassured her that she was Rip's one and only, she was satisfied. To tell the truth, if Quipster would have told her that Rip was visiting the mayor for an outstanding citizen award, she would have bought the story just because she could hang to an idea that he wasn't cheating on her. Mighty pathetic, huh?

Spindle pocketed her knife and made to go to the room she had destroyed. "Thanks girls. I knew I could count on you. Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna practice my surprised face for when Rip gives me my present." and with that she pretty much bounced into the guest room, sidestepping the torn and trashed rubbish that was strewn on the floor from her earlier temper tantrum.

As soon as they heard the door click shut, all of the girls let out a sigh of relief. Tunes ran forward to the door and pressed her ear to the door. When she was certain that Spindle would not be returning to the bunkroom, she turned to confront Quipster. "What were you playing at? You're lucky that she believed you at all."

"I know. We was supposed to tell no one about Jess. You almost blew everything," Corner exploded, shaking her head.

"Well, at least I was able to combine the two stories you and Moneybags gave," Quipster pointed out as she watched both Corner and Moneybags turn bright red.

"Girls, calm down. The good thing is that Spindle is happy now. We just got to keep her happy until Rip comes back," Dice intervened, noticing both Corner's and Moneybags' embarrassed state.

Iris shot a fearful look at the closed door. "_If_ he comes back. We don't actually know where he went."

Quipster started to head to her bunk to turn on for the night. "Don't worry. He'll be back. It ain't like he found out about Jess and went out to Manhattan, right?" she said over her shoulder, ignoring the preoccupied faces of the other girls.

"Right," responded Iris, not sounding nearly as confident as Quipster. "Right..."


	37. Us?

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Bottle Alley Lodging House**

Walking slowly and unsurely, Stress followed Jack into the quaint lodging house. She smiled faintly when an elderly woman in a grey blouse and maroon skirt left her post behind her desk and walked to the door to greet the newcomers.

"Hi there, child. Looking for a place to stay? Come on in." she said, a faint polish accent evident in her kindly voice. "My name is Mrs. Marcewicz, but you can call me Mrs. Cook, all the girls here do. And, is that a young Cowboy here who is visiting? Just the other day Gypsy was saying how she was tired of only seeing the faces of your two friends. She'll be glad you've come to visit, eh?" she added, raising her eyebrows slightly with a knowing smile.

Jack let out a small chuckle and turned to address Stress's puzzled look. "Race and Blink have taken to visiting dese two new girls every day. Ya see, this is the place where all the girls come to stay and it's the best spot for the boys to find themselves a girl."

Despite her nervousness, Stress found herself giggling along with Jack. "No wonder Mrs. Cook knows who you are. You find yourself a girl yet, Jack?"

Jack blushed furiously as he changed the subject. "Mrs. Cook, this here is Stress. She's new to Manhattan and needs a place to stay. Got any open bunks?"

Mrs. Cook looked Stress up and down and smiled approvingly; at this Stress felt secure, not uncomfortable like she had when others had done it to her, like Rip. "Sure, in fact we've got plenty. We only have about four permanent residents for this lodging house right now. I think they are all upstairs at the moment. Care to meet them?"

Stress looked over at Jack and nodded when Jack squeezed her left arm. "You're gonna come with me, Jack? I mean, since you know these girls and all," she shot him a smile and laughed when he turned beet red again.

"I don't know any of these girls..." he muttered as he led Stress to the lodging house stairs. She just shook her head as she followed him up the stairs and into the bunkroom.

Once she entered the bunkroom she was met with four girls, all around the same age- Stress's age, that were lounging around on a bunch of bunks: a girl with chin length blonde hair that was laying on her back joking around with a girl, her long dark brown braid covered with a red bandana while there was a pair of girls, one with real short brown hair and the other with waist-length blonde hair, sharing a bunk and talking quietly.

Upon seeing Stress and Jack enter the bunkroom, all chitchatting halted as they four girls jumped from their positions and ran to greet them. Or better yet, Jack.

"Cowboy!" cried the girl with the bandana as she flung her arms around a very surprised Jack.

Jack stumbled backwards and propped himself up against the wall by the door. "Gip, it's good to see you too," he stammered out as he pulled himself away from her vice-like grip.

Ignoring Stress's amused smirk, Jack proceeded to introduce the four girls. "Stress, this girl right here is Gip, also known as Gypsy," he said as he pointed to the girl who had glued herself to his left side.

"Hi, there!" she acknowledged, her voice full of a rich Kentucky accent.

"Are you from the South?" Stress asked, interested. She had never heard some one with such a nice Southern accent before.

Gip's dark eyes flashed momentarily before she smiled and answered Stress. "Well, actually I came from Kentucky, but I haven't been there in awhile. Ya usually won't hear my accent much, though."

Stress nodded and turned to see the girl with short blonde hair looking at her oddly. "Um- hi. Me name is Stress, what's yours?" she asked politely, a little uncomfortable under the girl's intense gaze.

The girl's firm face broke into a smile as she spit into her hand and offered it to Stress. "Hiya, the name is Stripes. Just arrived at this here lodging house meself. Glad to meet ya, Stress."

Growing up with the Queens' newsies Stress was accustomed to the tradition of spit shaking. She spit in her own hand and graciously shook hands with Stripes.

"Hey Cowboy, where's Blink?" The girl with waist-length blonde hair approached Jack, her blue eyes twinkling.

"Sorry Martini, haven't seen him. Race neither, Bookie." he added upon seeing the girl with short brown hair open her mouth to speak. "Stress, these two girls are Martini and Bookie, Blink and Race's wannabe girls."

"Hey!" Bookie cried as she smacked Jack in the chest before facing Stress. "Jacky-Boy's just jealous that we got our eyes on them instead of him."

Stress laughed again as noticed the indignant look on Jack's face. She walked in front of him and put her left hand on his cheek. "Thanks for bringing me here, Jack, but I think it's time for some girl talk." Moving her hand down so she was pressing his chest, Stress gently pushed him towards the door. With a quick kiss on the cheek, Stress said goodbye. "I'll see you at the distribution center tomorrow, OK? An' thanks Jack, I mean it," she added in a whisper. She didn't want the other girls to think that Jack was her weakness. After all, she'd only known him one day. "Why did I just kiss him? What if he thinks I like him like that? Ugh- can't let me emotions to get in the way, not this time," she thought to herself as she shook her head gently to clear it.

Jack stood there in shock that she had given him a kiss. "Sh-sh-sure, Stress. Tomorrow," he said as he turned to leave the bunkroom, walking smack dab into the doorway in the process. Shooting a Look at Stripe, but failing in getting her to stop her laughing, Jack left the Bottle Alley Lodging House.

Once they were sure that Jack had left, Gip asked Stress about her relationship with Jack. "So, I guess you're Cowboy's new girl, eh?" she said, her bitter tone of voice evident through her accent.

"Me and Jack? Naw, naw, it ain't like that. He's just been real sweet to me since I came to Manhattan," Stress answered. She was pleased to see that Gip perked up a bit at her words. "Why, do you got a thing for Jack?"

"Me, naw. I just like to pretend like I do. It's interesting to play with the boy's mind," Gip said, trying to sound serious before she broke into a fit of giggles. The other girls joined in and pretty soon they were all rolling on the floor laughing.

"I hear ya. And I'm glad to meet you two," Stress announced as she set her eyes on Martini and Bookie, "I heard so much about the infamous Martini and Bookie from Race and Blink during our poker game last night, I'm happy to see they weren't making you up. I thought they were never going to let me go to sleep last night."

While Bookie and Martini glowed at her words - they really liked their new guy friends and were glad to hear that Race and Blink felt the same way - Stripes stared at her with her mouth wide open. "Are you telling me that you slept in the boys' lodging house yesterday night?"

"Yeah, it was quite an experience, let me tell you," Stress looked around at the surprised faces that were on all four of their faces.

"Wow, you've got to be one o' the only girls that ever stayed dear over night and survived," Martini said in awe.

"I wish that I could have stayed there a night before I came here," Bookie stated with a bit of jealousy seeping in her words.

"Stress, tell us all about, please? I would love to have something to blackmail the fellas with!" Gip said gleefully as she rubbed her hands together.

Stress laughed out loud, glad to be accepted by the other Manhattan newsgirls. "Well, if ya really want to know..." she said with a mischievous smile before launching into a play by play of the previous nights activity, starting from the moment she stepped of the trolley up until she up sold Jack that morning.

Though she bonded with her new pals, and even began to trust them, she left out one important detail of her story. Though she talked for hours, late into the night, with Stripes, Gip, Bookie and Martini acting as a perfect audience, the words Rip, Spindle or Queens never once escaped her lips.

It wasn't that she didn't trust them or anything. She was just trying to protect her new friends. What if he ever found out about her being in Manhattan? It just wouldn't be safe...


	38. Letters

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Manhattan******

****

Slowly but surely Stress began to rebuild her life. After she'd been in Manhattan for three days, she sent her first letter to Grace and the O'Connor's:

_Dear Mr. and Mrs. O'Connor & of course, Grace,_

_It's me, Jess. I just wanted to tell you that I'm fine and I've found myself a nice, clean, _girls'_ lodging house, The Bottle Alley Lodging House. The girls there are extremely nice and caring! Everyday we go to the distribution center and we sell our newspapers. It's just like home! How are you all doing? Good, I hope. I'll send you another letter soon. Take care!_

_Love, _

_Jess_

All in all, she was feeling a lot like her old self now that she didn't have to run and hide anymore.

Or so she thought...


	39. Hers

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Manhattan******

****

"Rise and shine, girls! It's time to sell your papers!" cried Mrs. Cook, bright and early the fourth morning Stress awoke in her bunk at the Bottle Alley Lodging House.

"I don't wanna chase the rabbit..." grumbled Bookie as she rolled over in her bunk.

Gip, who was already up and dressed, reached over and poked Bookie. "What rabbit is that, Bookie?"

Bookie opened her right eye and looked at Gip quizzically. "What are you talking about Gip?"

Gip shook her head as she walked over to shake Stripes awake.

Stress stifled her giggle as she went to get changed. Thanks to Martini, who was just her height and about the same size, Stress no longer had to wear her same old blouse and skirts every day. "I feel so much safer in knickers," she muttered to herself as she pulled on her new grey pants and lifted the black suspenders to rest on her white undershirt. "I don't never got to worry about giving someone an easier time if I'm wearing a skirt," she said to herself, remembering those taunting words Rip had said to her their first night together. _"See, Jess, I just love girls in skirts. They make things so much easier for me." _Her eyes clouded over, like they did every time she remembered Rip, and she stopped what she was doing.

"Stress? Hey, Stress? You OK?" Stripes asked as she pulled her black newsies cap over her blonde hair. She was a little worried; this wasn't the first time that Stress had gotten the faraway look in her eye and a look of fear on her face. In fact, she and the other girls had already talked about it a few nights after Stress had already gone to bed at night. Just what was she hiding?

"You're in Manhattan now, Jess. And Rip ain't ever gonna find you!" Stress told herself firmly before snapping out of her trance. "Sure, Stripes. I'm fine," she answered as she ran to wash her face and look in the mirror. She smiled at her reflection. The black eye was barely visible and most of the remnants of Rip's "love", all the scratches, bruises and cuts, had left her face. "I look pretty good." she said out loud with a smile, pleased with her new "newsies" outfit. Stripes, Gip, Bookie and Martini all laughed at her conceited outburst as they continued getting themselves ready to sell their papers.

"C'mon girls. Get a move on!" Mrs. Cook called again. The five girls grabbed their paper money and thundered down the stairs to head to the distribution center.

It was a little later than usual, so the girls all began to run towards the distribution center. Martini and Bookie were afraid that Blink and Race might leave without them, so they were dragging the other three girls with them, all five of them laughing as they made their way.

Five blocks away from the distribution center, Martini and Bookie let go of Stress's, Gip's and Stripes's hands, but still urged them forward.

"C'mon girls, get the lead outta your pants. Move it, move it!" Bookie said as she mimicked the annoying kid who ran the paper sorter at the distribution center.

"Don't worry, Bookie. Race ain't gonna leave with out you," Stress teased as she purposely slowed her pace.

"That's easy for you to say, Stress. You got Cowboy wrapped around your li'l finger. Every day he's there waiting for you," Martini countered with a laugh.

Stress laughed with her, a sarcastic response on the tip of her tongue.

Her laughter died and the response was forgotten when she heard a familiar voice call out from behind her. "I'd like to meet your friend, Cowboy, Miss Jess."


	40. His

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Manhattan******

For the fourth straight day, Rip left the boardinghouse where he was staying and began to wander around Manhattan. "Today I'm gonna visit the distribution center for the "World". I'm sure she still works as a newsie and I haven't seen her at the distribution center for the "Journal" yet. Maybe she wonks for Pulitzer," he murmured to himself as he stroked his chin.

He groaned as his finger met the stubble there. He hadn't had a proper shave since he ran out on Spindle in Queens. He laughed as he thought of the reaction Spindle may have had upon hearing that he was gone. "But if I find me 'Li'l Miss' everything will be fine," he said adamantly as he began to jog towards the distribution center for the _New York World_. He was getting a bit antsy-- he had been in Manhattan for four days and had not seen nor heard anything about a new newsgirl named Jess. He purposely ignored the little voice in his head telling him that she may have changed her name. "My girl would never do that," he whispered back to the little voice.

Rip continued to run towards the center as he kept his eyes peeled for Jess. He slowed down when he got about seven or eight blocks away from the distribution center. "I can't believe how well I got to know Manhattan since I've been here," he thought to himself, feeling a bit smug at his directional skills. "But I still don't understand why Jess picked Manhattan. If she would hid from Spindle in Harlem, I would have been able to help her. I ain't got no good informants here."

He increased his pace a little bit when he noticed a group of girls, newsgirls by their appearance, walking and laughing a block or two ahead of him. "What if one of those girls is me 'Li'l Miss'?" he thought excitedly. There were four, no five, girls ahead, and they were all heading in the direction of the distribution center.

He jogged quickly to close the two block gap that was between him and the girls. Once he got directly behind the girls, he drew in a deep breath to calm himself down. Right in between a girl with long dark brown hair and a girl with short blonde hair was Jess.

He walked in step with them, deciding how to draw attention to himself. As he walked behind the group he overheard one of the girls, the one Jess's size with long blonde hair, say, ""That's easy for you to say, Stress. You got Cowboy wrapped around your li'l finger. Every day he's there waiting for you."

Rip paused for a second as he registered what the girl had said. It wasn't the fact that she had changed her name - Stress? What kind of name is that - no, it was the fact that they mentioned her in context with another guy - Cowboy. Before he realized what he was saying he opened his mouth and snarled at her. "I'd like to meet your friend, Cowboy, Miss Jess."


	41. Memories

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Manhattan******

Stress stopped dead in her tracks. "It can't be...It just can't be..." she mumbled as she slowly turned around to face the owner of the voice.

And sure enough, Rip was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, with a less-than-happy expression on his face. "Hi there, long time no see, eh, Jess?"

Stress paled under Rip's gaze but stood up straight to face him anyways. "Hi, Rip. How are ya?" She took a step forward, trying to block her new friends from his view in case Rip got violent. She shot him a huge, meaningless grin, hoping to draw his attention to only her, as she waved her friends back.

"Don't be cute with me, li'l girl. Who's this Cowboy?" Rip could barely control his anger as he walked over to Stress, ignoring the four girls who were backing away slightly to give them space. "How dare she act like I'm nothing? Don't her li'l friends know about our relationship? Is she hiding me? She better not be..." he threatened silently as he waited for Stress to answer his question.

Stress cowered as she listened to Rip ask about Jack. She recognized the strain in his voice; Rip's temper was boiling and about to bubble over. She had to calm him down, she had to. "Don't worry, Rip. He's just a friend," she replied as she tentatively put her hand on his arm.

Rip shook her arm off of his, his blue eyes flashing menacingly. "Friends? Just like me and you are friends, right?"

"No, Rip. You know I love you. I could never like any one else," she whispered as she kept her back to her friends. She couldn't bear to let them see her act this way, so weak and vulnerable. Yet that's how Rip always made her feel.

Rip grabbed her by the wrists and pulled her close to him. "Look into my eyes and tell me that you love me and not this Cowboy," he ordered.

Gip made to step forward, rolling up the sleeves of her grey button down shirt as she went. No one grabbed and talked to one of her friends like that. It took Bookie, Martini and Stripes to grab the back of her shirt and keep her in place. "Gip, I think this is something that Stress has to do by herself," Martini whispered quietly so that Rip wouldn't hear.

Gip scowled but stopped struggling against the others. "You mean we let him hurt her?"

Bookie looked over at the scene that was taking place only feet away from her. "No, we ain't gonna let him hurt her," She turned her head slightly so to look at Martini but still have one eye on Stress. "Martini, come with me to the distribution center. We need to get Jack or someone in case she needs help, alright?"

Martini nodded and started to back away, quietly so as to draw no attention to her movements. Bookie mimicked her motions and soon they were gone. Gip and Stripes stood their ground, ready to jump into action in case Stress needed their help.

Meanwhile, Stress was still being held close to Rip's chest. "He means nothing to me. You're the only one who ever will," she said, barely able to stare into Rip's eyes.

It was enough though. "Good, just wanted to make sure that you didn't forget it. And just to make sure..." he sneered at her , his lips curled in an evil grin, as he began to drag her away from Gip and Stripes and toward a secluded alley.

"Rip, wait, no..." she whimpered, as she dug in her heels. She let out a tiny cry of "Ouch" when he tightened his grip on her wrists and pulled her even harder towards the break between blocks.

"Stress--" Gip called as she tried to follow Stress and Rip into the alley. She stopped when Stress looked over her shoulder and shook her head. "I'll be fine Gip. I'll see ya later," Stress hoped that the immense fear she felt wasn't evident in her voice. She didn't want her friends to get on Rip's bad side and get hurt as a result of it. It was one thing for him to take his frustrations with her out on her, but she would NOT let Rip touch her friends.

Gip and Stripes watched in shock as their friend was pulled into a nearby alley. They waited for a few moments until Gip couldn't bare it any longer and crept towards the alley. Stripes sighed and let her go. "I guess I'll just wait here for the other's by myself."

When they got to the alley, Rip threw Stress aimlessly at the ground as easily as if she were a rag doll. "Ouch," she cried as she rubbed her sore shoulder that she had landed on.

Rip, a crazed look in his icy eyes, laughed cruelly as he loomed over her. "Did you miss me?"

Now that she didn't have to worry about her friend's safety Stress figured it was time to fight back. "What do you think, Rip? You think I missed being violated by you?" she spat out as she backed away from him, her disgust and repulsion at him written on her face.

Rip stopped at first, not comprehending the biting words that Stress had just tossed at him. "Oh, you'll pay for that one, Jess," he remarked as he started to walk towards her, pulling his switchblade out of his pocket as he spoke.

She began to shiver as he walked towards her, slashing the knife through the air. "He wouldn't stab me would he?" she wondered to herself. Shaking the thought out of her head, Stress looked at him with fire in her eyes. "For your information, Rip, the name is Stress, not Jess. I left that name behind me when I left Queens."

"I think not. You will always be me 'li'l Miss Jess', whether you want to be or not." He continued to laugh his high-pitched cruel laugh as he pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her. Once she stopped fighting against their proximity, Rip leaned down and began to kiss her hungrily.

Stress responded half-heartedly, fighting back the reflex to gag. When she was unable to stand his tongue in her mouth any longer, Stress bit it.

"God damn you, Jess. What are you trying to pull. Do you want me to hurt you?" he cried as he raised his hand to swing. He couldn't believe how much she had changed in the five days they were apart. When she had left Queens she was obedient, quiet and shy around everyone. Now she was outspoken, friendly and defiant. He didn't like the change.

Stress ducked her head as fear spasmed across her face. Rip dropped his hand and redrew his knife. He chuckled to himself as he saw her flinch at the presence of the switchblade. "Well, maybe she hasn't changed to much," he noted as a glimmer of Stress's former self slipped through the tough facade. "Now, just to make sure she remembers who the boss is," he thought to himself as he pushed her to the ground, using his body weight to keep her arms down, and, with his right hand, raised his knife.

"This is it. This is the end," Stress said to herself as tears sprang to her eyes. Because Rip had her hands pinned to her side, Stress was unable to wipe the tears from her eyes so she turned her head away from Rip instead. She did not want Rip to see her cry. She did not want Rip to see her weak. She wanted to die proud.

Rip softened for a second as he wiped her tears with his left hand and hid the switchblade, still clutched in his right hand, behind his back, out of her line of vision. "'Remember, this is just like our first time together. Remember, Jess? Remember, in our alley?" he said eagerly, a boyish grin coming to his face. A boyish grin that might have made his handsome face all the more attractive was it not for the deranged look in his eyes.

When she realized what Rip's plan was for her, Stress shuddered. She wasn't sure which was worse: Dying or being violated again by Rip.

The shudder did not go unnoticed by Rip. "Now, now Jess. You know that you want this as much as I do." Once more he brought out the switchblade, this time to place it against the seam of her pants on her left leg. "You know what, Jess. I told' you that I didn't like girls in pants. It makes things all the more harder for me," he sighed as he slit open the first pant leg across the seam and positioned his knife to do so to the second.

Gip felt nauseous at the sight before her. She had watched the entire encounter from a safe distance. Every time she was about to run forward and save Stress from this psycho's clutches, he would draw out his knife and position it in a manner that was way too close to Stress for Gip's comfort. But when Gip realized what this guy was going to do to her friend, she couldn't let it happen. She looked over her shoulder and saw Stripes still waiting where she had left her. "Damn, Bookie and Martini haven't been back yet. I guess I'll have to take care of this myself." She checked to make sure she still had her knife concealed in her boot and stepped into the shadows of the alley. She paused for a moment when she saw that Stress had gotten some of her nerve back and had landed a kick at Rip just as he was unbuttoning his pants.

"Jess, you know that wasn't a smart thing to do. I guess we're going to have to do this the hard way!" he roared as he grabbed her head with the one hand that wasn't clutching his groin, and slammed it into the ground. Upon first contact, Jess lost consciousness and fell over to the ground, helpless.

Gip cheered her friend as Stress fought back, but gasped when she saw Stress get knocked out. "Aw, damn. He's killed her!" Blinded by an incredible anger, Gip ran forward just as Rip bent over Stress and began to strip her out of the rest of her clothes. "You've killed me pal!" she screamed as she jumped on his back.

Rip, three years older, thirty pounds heavier and a head taller, flipped Gip off of his back and grabbed her head. Just like he had done to Stress only moments earlier, Rip proceeded in knocking Gip out. With a cold look at her unconscious body, he snarled, "Girly, I'm gonna take care of you after I finish with me 'li'l Miss' over here."

Just as he yanked his own pants off, Rip heard a whole mess of footsteps approach the alley. Confident that the lack of sunlight in the corner he was in would hide him from the eyes of any intruders, Rip continued with his business.

Until he felt someone in the background sneak up behind him. "Touch one hair on that girl's head and I'll personally make sure you never walk again."


	42. Rescue

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**The ****Distribution********Center******

"Hey, Blink. I bet you five-to-one that Cowboy asks Stress to be his girl by the end o' this week," Race joked as he sat outside the distribution center, waiting for Bookie to arrive.

"You know what Race, I think he'll ask her by the end of today," Blink replied as he sat down next to Race, keeping his eye peeled for Martini.

Jack stood up next to the two jokesters, blushing slightly, and slapped each one playfully in turn. "Aww, shut up both of you. She's just my friend, that's all," Jack announced as he pulled his cowboy hat onto his head, and sat down to count out his fifty papers.

"Sure, Cowboy, sure," King added as he walked by the three younger boys. King fancied himself as the "know-it-all" of the lodging house; therefore he made it his point to know the business of all of his newsies. "We all know that you got it bad for the Cupcake."

Jack looked up at King with a smirk. "What ever you say, King. By the way, does Stress still faint when she sees ya?" he asked innocently and laughed heartily when King turned bright red.

"Shut up, Jack." Stress's slight hesitations toward King was still a running joke in the lodging house. Though she said she trusted him and considered him one of her new friends, King knew she was still afraid of what he might do to her at any given moment.

As Race, Blink and Jack poked fun at King, he tried to think of a way to get back at the three stooges that sat before him. "I oughtta--"

"King, Cowboy, Race, Blink..." Martini panted as she ran up to the four boys, Bookie right behind her.

King stopped mid-sentence and turned to face Martini. "What's wrong Martini?" As it usually did in the most extreme situations, King's uncanny leader ability, his ability to know when there is trouble around, kicked in.

Martini clutched the stitch in her side as she gasped, trying feverishly to catch her breath. "Trouble... Stress... Help..." she stammered.

Jack jumped up at the mention of Stress's name. "What do you mean, trouble? What happened to Stress?" his voice cracked as he knocked his hat off of his head and prepared himself to run to his friend's aid.

King threw out on of his hands, trying to calm Jack down before all of the details were told. "Bookie, what do you have to say?"

"You see, we were just walking to the distribution center when this guy calls out from behind us. We all stop talking and turned around to see who it was. It seems like it's someone that Stress used to know, but it wasn't on the best o' terms, I would say. He all grabbed her by the arms and kept asking about you, Cowboy, all jealous-like. It was real scary, so we decided it might be a good idea to get some of you guys in case," Bookie blurted out and started to shake. "What's happening to her right now?" she wondered. She doubted it would be good.

Race hurried to Bookie's side and put his arms around her comfortingly. Blink quickly copied the gesture and held Martini close to his chest. Jack paled a bit and began to pace nervously back and forth. "Some guy is hurting Stress, that can't be good," he mumbled, more to himself than anyone else. "Bookie, Martini, where is she?"

Underneath the supportive weight of Blink's arms, Martini called out, "We left her with Gip, Stripes and that guy about six or so blocks back that way."

"Then what are we waiting here for?" Jack wondered out loud as he began to run in the direction that Martini was pointing in. King let out a deep sigh and ran after him.

"I will never forgive myself if anything happened to her. I should have walked to the Bottle Alley lodging house instead of meeting her at the distribution center," he called to King as he ran blindly.

"You really are stuck on the girl, eh, Cowboy?" King replied as he swerved to avoid colliding with Jack.

Jack put on an extra burst of speed when he saw Stripes waiting nervously on a street corner. "Naw, King, we're just friends." He slowed down, just barely, when he drew close to Stripes. "Stripes, where's Stress? Where's Gip?" he cried as he looked around wildly, hoping to see either one of the girls.

Stripes moved her hair out of her eyes, eyes that showed her nervous state. "I don't know, Jack. That guy grabbed Stress and began to drag her into that alley. We began to go after him, but Stress told' us that she'd be fine. After a couple minutes Gip went after them and I haven't seen either one since," she whispered as she began to cry softly. "What if that guy does something to them and I just stood here?"

Jack shook her shoulders gently and whispered back. "Don't worry, Stripes. It probably wasn't a good idea for Gip to follow them, but we'll take care of it." With a quick look at King, Jack began to walk, quietly so as not to scare off the "guy", towards the alley that Stripes had pointed out.

Once he reached the entrance to the alley, Jack tip-toed inside, with King walking gently right behind him. "Shhh!!" King whispered as he made out a man-sized shadow in a back corner of the alley.

Jack nodded and walked right up behind the shadow. He almost lost his head when he saw the two figures who lay unconscious on the ground. _"Stress?__ Gip? My God..."_

Before he had a chance to rush forward and rescue his two friends, Jack paused when King tapped his shoulder and pointed at the shadowy figure.

A shadowy figure that was just finishing taking off his pants. "Why would he be taking off his pants? Oh my God, he's gonna --" his thoughts were interrupted when he realized what the figure was going to do to the two helpless girls. Fighting his sensible side which told him not to say anything until he and King could work out a plan, Jack said the first threat that came to his mind. "Touch one hair on that girl's head and I'll personally make sure you never walk again."


	43. Derserved

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**The Alley**

"Damn." Rip muttered the word harshly under his breath as he pulled up his pants and turned around. How dare someone interrupt his business?! "Who's gonna stop me?" he smirked as he set eyes on Jack. "A li'l twerp like you?" Rip laughed to himself as he looked at the younger boy in front of him. He was short - well not short, but shorter than Rip at least - and thin. And with the little light that shone in the alley, Rip could see that he had a cowboy hat hanging around his neck. Rip's eyes lit up with glee as he understood who this boy was. "Let me guess, the famous Cowboy? The one that Jess can't stand? I'd like to see him try," he scoffed as he turned his back on Jack.

Jack stood frozen for a second. "Stress, she can't stand me? What?" he murmured as he pushed the thought out of his head. He couldn't get all sappy when she needed his help. Even if she didn't like him, as the guy had so kindly told him, Jack felt she deserved to be rescued from this... this filth.

Before Jack could think of a witty come-back to knock Rip down with, King stepped forward. "Yeah, well Cowboy here has got some friends that would like to help," he snapped as he stepped in front of Jack to confront Rip.

Rip turned around, all the more angry that he kept being disturbed. "And what are you...gonna...do..." Rip eyes grew to the size of saucers at the guy standing before him. All the newsboys in New York knew who King was. King was one of the most feared newsies on the streets; His tough but fair fighting style was acclaimed and everyone knew that he was one not to mess with. As Rip stared him down, he felt a prickle of worry. King was his age, his height, his size. He wasn't so sure that he could take them both on and win.

Normally Rip would have shrugged the encounter off and backed down. But this was a matter of his lover. She was his and he would do whatever he had to do to stake claim of his possession. "You don't frighten me, King."

King was amused that the guy standing in front of him knew his name. "I hope he knows why they call me King," he smirked to himself as he stepped up, mere inches away from Rip. As he stared down Rip, sizing him up as an opponent, and finding him worthy of no mercy, Jack ran to the sides of Stress and Gip. "Please let them be OK," he pleaded as he kneeled by their sides and listened for a heartbeat.

Meanwhile, Rip was taken aback by King's closeness and threw his hands up in defense. Unfortunately for him, he threw up a hand that still had a switchblade clasped inside. King saw the switchblade and smiled. In an eye blink, King threw a punch to Rip's stomach and, when Rip was doubled over in pain, snatched the knife out of his hand. "I prefer an even fight, don't you pal?"

Rip looked up at King and spit in his face. "You've got no business here, King. This is just between me and me girl."

King wiped the spittle off of his nose and aimed a right hook right at Rip's cheek. When Rip fell to the ground, covering his left eye, King stepped on his hand, breaking one or two of his fingers. "Your girl? Which one would that be? Cause I see two down dear and neither one looks like they are enjoying your company."

Rip cried out in pain as he felt King's weight on his left hand. "I just came to get me property. Jess left me behind when she left Queens and I came to get her back."

Jack stepped forward and nodded at King. Now that he was sure that the girl's were alright - they were unconscious, but no other damage had been done - he was prepared to stand up for his friends.

Understanding that this was something Jack wanted to take care of, King stepped off of Rip and backed away. He would keep an eye on things in case he was needed, but otherwise just make sure that the girls were not hurt in the fight.

Jack walked over to where Rip was still sitting on the floor, clutching his fingers in agony. When he saw Jack stroll up to him, he laughed cruelly. "What do you want?"

"It ain't what I want, it's what you want. What are you doing here?" Jack asked, his voice low and hoarse.

When Rip started to pull himself up to stand, Jack aimed a kick right at his stomach which resulted in knocking him right back down. "You're gonna pay for that boy!" Rip threatened as his words were cut off by wheezes.

Jack looked down at him, no expression on his face. "Answer me."

Rip waited a few seconds as he got his breathing back under control. "She's mine. We're in love and have been for awhile now. I just needed to make sure that she remembers that. She needs to be taught that lesson," he spat out as he held onto his stomach.

Jack brought his hand to his mouth as realization dawned on him. "And let me guess. You felt the need to teach her a lesson right before she left you, right? A lesson that resulted in a black eye, a swollen face and a gash on her shoulder?" He trembled with anger as he remembered the state he had found Jess in those few days ago. How hurt and beaten and battered and scared she was. Most of all, she was scared, scared of everyone, though she pretended not to be at times. "And this monster is the one who scared her," he muttered before launching himself at Rip.

Rip wasn't expecting Jack to fly at him so he was at an incredible disadvantage. "What the --" he cried before feeling a barrage of fists beating on his face. Jack had forced Rip down and was punching him dead in the face with all the strength he could muster. "This...is...for...what...you've...done...to....Stress," he shouted in between the pummeling.

Rip took the hits and even threw some back of his own. When he aimed one square at Jack's nose, he threw Jack off of his chest and crawled over to where Stress lay, her pants ripped to shreds and her shirt entirely torn, revealing her underclothes. "See this, Cowboy, this is mine. It has been before and will be again, forever and always. She'll never let you in, Cowboy, never," he hissed as he went to tear the remaining pants fabric from her body.

Rip's taunts rang in Jack's ears. Quickly he turned and saw King smiling at him, holding Rip's knife out. Jack winked and grabbed the knife. Before Rip could even move Stress at all, Jack lunged at him once more and sank the knife clean into Rip's right arm, before pulling it back out again.

As Rip screamed and writhed in pain, Jack leaned over and held it to his throat. "If I ever, ever see or hear that you're back in Manhattan again, I won't hesitate to slit your throat, got me?"

Biting his tongue to hold back his screams and curses, Rip nodded. "She ain't worth it, anyway. She ain't nothing but a doity whore," he whispered, panting slightly at the immense pain that coursed through his body.

With a quick glance over at his knocked out friend, Jack retaliated for Rip's negative remark on her character. He would protect her good name since she wasn't able to defend herself at the moment. "I don't think so, buddy," he whispered before administering a final blow that rendered him unconsciousness.

Once Rip was crumpled up on the ground, King rushed to Jack's side. "Nice one, Cowboy, but I think it's time to take care of the girls." King bent down and lifted Gip up into his arms. Jack shot one last look of hatred toward the scum that lay at his feet before turning and lifting Stress into his arms.

Leaving Rip right where he was, his own knife laying by his side, cleaned off, as a mocking gesture, King and Jack exited the alley. Once they hit the sunlight they began to walk towards the Bottle Alley Lodging House, the closest lodging house to the alley.

Upon seeing King and Jack leave the alley, an unconscious girl in each of their arms, Stripes, Bookie, Martini, Race and Blink all ran forward and started clamoring about what had happened. Neither King nor Jack spoke a word, preferring to walk the few blocks to Bottle Alley in silence.

When they arrived at the lodging house, Stripes ran forward and held the door open for the boys. They all paraded past a very confused Mrs. Cook, who Bookie promised to explain everything to later, and entered the bunkroom, laying Stress and Gip down on the two closest bunks.

"Race, run and get some towels. Blink, we need some hot water. Stripes get some bandages. Bookie, Martini, I need you girls to put Gip and Stress in some proper clothes," King said as he gestured to the blood-soaked shirts each wore and the strips of fabric that were once Stress's pants.

As each person ran off to follow King's orders, King and Jack sat on the ground in the middle of the two bunks, waiting for Stress and Gip to regain consciousness and, maybe, just maybe, tell them exactly what had happened.

Because they weren't so sure themselves...


	44. Questions

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Bottle Alley Lodging House**

Through all the black that she was floating in, there came a light. Not a bright white one, no, but a dull one that called her attention all the same. "No... I don't want to go back. Leave me be, Rip. No..." Stress mumbled as she fought against regaining consciousness. It would be safer for her to remain floating in the black abyss of unconsciousness.

It was getting late at the Bottle Alley Lodging House. All the lodgers had gone to bed, save Jack and King who had kept their vigil at the bedsides of Stress and Gip for the past twelve hours. Mrs. Cook had consented to let the two boys stay, at least until the two girls woke up, but she had sent Race and Blink back to the Manhattan Newsboys' Lodging House, much to the dismay of Martini and Bookie. But, as King had pointed out, someone needed to tell Kloppman what was going on and surely the other newsies needed to be aware of what exactly went down on their territory, right?

Jack's attention was not drawn at first to Stress's mumblings. His head shot up and his eyes widened when he heard the sheets rustling on the bunk on his right side. "I'm sorry, Rip. Please don't hurt me no more...," Stress pleaded as she tossed and turned in her bunk, refusing to open her eyes.

King looked over at Jack and nodded, but refused to leave Gip's side. She hadn't stirred once since he had laid her on the bunk and, unless it was his imagination, her heartbeat had only gotten fainter in the twelve hours she laid silently.

"Stress," Jack whispered as he leapt to her side, clasping her hand in a supportive grip, "Stressie, you're safe. I swear."

"Rip?" she questioned timidly as she reluctantly opened her eyes, preparing herself for the worst.

"Nope, it ain't Rip. It's Jack," he replied as he waited patiently for Stress to get her bearings back.

"Jack? Jack!" she cried as she sat up and flung her arms around his neck. "What are you doing hear? What am I doing here? Jack, what happened to ... him?" she asked, looking around wildly as if she expected Rip to jump out and attack her in her new home.

"Shh... It's OK, Stressie," he whispered soothingly as he gently pushed her back on the bunk. "Martini and Bookie got me and King and we entered that alley just in time. After we took care o' that scabber, we brought you and Gip back to the lodging house," he explained as he gestured to Gip's slumbering silhouette on the neighboring bunk.

"What? You and King? And Gip? Gip?! What happened to her?" she cried weakly as she tried to sit back up and reach her friend all at the same time.

"Stress, you need to rest," he said gently but firmly as he guided her head to her pillow once more before continuing. "From what we gather, Gip followed you into that alley and ended up knocked out too."

Upon realizing that it was her fault that one of her friends was hurt, Stress began to cry softly to herself. Jack heard the tears and quickly tried to find out exactly what happened before the emotion of the morning's events impacted him as well. "I must be tough until I find out just what happened," he told himself before turning to face Stress again. "Stressie? Who was that? Why was he here? And just what happened in that alley?"

Stress stopped crying for a moment and looked at Jack. "He'll think that I'm just common street trash if I tell 'him the truth," she thought to herself as she feverishly began to wipe away her tears. Out of the corner of her left eye she caught sight of Gip, with King still sitting by her side. With a firm resolve, she knew what she had to do. "Jack, that was Rip," she began, her voice quiet but clear, " and he was the boyfriend of the leader of the newsgirls in Queens. I say was 'cause for the last few weeks he was seeing me. But it wasn't because I wanted to, you see. Rip's the kind of guy that decides he loves you and you can't say no..." her voice trailed off and her eyes clouded over as she recalled her first encounters with Rip. Of all the times she said "no" and all the pain she endured because she did.

Jack looked up at her, understanding exactly what she meant. "He hurt ya?"

Stress nodded slowly before continuing with her story. "Yeah, he hurt me. A lot. But I took it cause he told' me if I didn't then me friends and family would be the first to go. I couldn't let him hurt them so I never said a word. Then the day came when his girl found out about me," Stress stopped again, raising trembling fingers to point at the bandage on her shoulder that was still there from when Kloppman had applied it. "She tried to kill me, but missed. I knew that it weren't safe in Queens no more so I convinced me guardians to let me come here. An' here I am. But he found me, just like I knew he would. He found me this morning and made me tell him how much I love him. But I don't, I never had. But he just won't take 'no' for an answer." Stress turned her head away from Jack's gaze, preferring not to see the disgusted look on his face.

But there wasn't a disgusted look on his face, just one of respect and remorse. "I'm so sorry, Stressie. Why didn't you tell me? We could have made sure that he never found you. But don't worry, me and King took care of that today," he laughed to himself as he remembered the state that they had left Rip in upon leaving the alley that morning.

"You mean, I'll never see him again?" The hopeful tone in her voice was evident, even through the silent tears that streaked down her once rosy cheeks.

"Well, as long as you stay here in Manhattan, with me," he added shyly as he pulled his well-known cowboy hat back onto his head.

Stress sat up again and gave Jack a hug. "Don't you worry, Cowboy, I don't ever plan on leaving." And it was true. She had even written a letter to the O'Connor's the night before, a letter she had intended on mailing that morning but, due to certain circumstances, it would have to be mailed later. After seriously considering her decision, Stress had decided it would be better just to start over fresh, in a town with not as many unpleasant memories. A town where she had friends. Manhattan, her new home.

It was at that moment that Gip decided to wake up. As she gently held her throbbing head in one hand, she sat up in her bunk. Opening her eyes delicately, she zeroed in on the close embrace that Stress and Jack were sharing.

"And what may we have here?" she asked slyly, forgetting for that moment that she had just woken up after being knocked out for over twelve hours.

As Stress and Jack broke apart suddenly at the sound of Gip's southern voice, King jumped up and gave Gip a hug. "Gypsy, you're OK!" King shouted in relief as he held onto her tight, afraid that if he let go she would go back to asleep.

Gip fell back in surprise and returned his hug. "Uhh, yeah, I think I was before you smothered me, King," she whispered hoarsely until King got the hint and let go, grinning sheepishly as he did.

"Sorry, Gip. Me emotions got a bit carried away. It's kinda hard to see one of your newsies out cold like that," King explained, trying to explain his actions.

"That's OK, King. Now, before one of you tells me what the hell happened here today, I wanna ask you two a question," Gip said as she pointed at Stress and Jack who were still sitting on the same bunk. "Are you together or not?"

Stress and Jack looked at Gip and King, then at each other, and then back at Gip and King. "Naw, we're just friends," they answered in the same voice before looking at each other again and bursting into laughter, with Gip joining in soon after.

Now that he was sure that the girls were OK, King started to get some of his macho-ness back. Shaking his head at the playful antics of the three younger newsies, he walked over to a bunk on the opposite side of the bunkroom, far from where Stripes, Bookie and Martini had already laid sleeping and even farther from where Gip, Stress and Jack sat laughing like hyenas. "This is the future of New York?"

****

**Later that Night**

Later that night, long after King and Gip had fallen deep into sleep, Jack lay awake in the bunk above Stress. Everything that had happened since Stress arrived in Manhattan - every comment, every fearful look - finally made sense to Jack. He sighed as he rolled over in his bunk. "Nobody deserves to be treated like that, nobody, especially such a lovely girl," Jack caught his thought and sighed again. He really was beginning to like the girl, but he wasn't sure if it was just as a friend, or if it was as something more. He frowned at the darkness when the words Rip had sneeringly tossed his way came rushing back and replayed in his memory. _"Let me guess, the famous Cowboy? The one that Jess can't stand?...She'll never let you in, Cowboy, never." _

"He don't know that!" he mumbled as he hit his pillow in anger. "Just because she don't love him, doesn't mean that she'll never love anyone."

"Jack?" came a feminine voice from below him.

Jack smacked himself in the forehead. By letting that momentary flash of anger consume him, he had hit his pillow which had resulted in shaking the entire wooden bunk structure. "Stressie, did I wake you up?" he asked as he leaned over the edge of the bunk to look at her.

Stress smiled upon seeing his face over the edge of his bunk. "Naw, Jack. I just haven't been able to sleep tonight. It's like every time I go to shut me eyes, I'm afraid that when I wake up all this would have been a dream and Rip'll be sitting next to me with his arms wrapped around me like every time before."

Jack's stomach twisted itself up in knots as a mental image of Stress and Rip wrapped up into each other's arms, murmuring their "I-Love-You"'s flashed through his mind.

Stress looked up at Jack and her smile turned into a look of concern when she saw a pained expression on his face. "Jack, are you OK?"

Jack began to nod but stopped himself. As he shook his head, he asked Stress one of the questions that had been on his mind since that morning. "Stress, umm, did you ever really _love_ that guy, that Rip?"

Stress's breath was caught in her throat when she heard Jack's question. She was not expecting that at all. Propping herself up on her elbows so that she was looking Jack in the eye, she answered him, honestly and truthfully. "No, Jack I never did. There was too much fear and pain and hurt in our relationship for there to ever be love."

"Well, umm, do you ever think that you''ll be able to love someone?" he asked shyly as he peered down upon her and awaited her answer.

"Sure, I know that I love you, Jack. You're the best friend I got right now," Stress answered, misinterpreting Jack's question.

But the answer was good enough for Jack. "You're me best pal, too, Stressie. Good night," he added as he laid flat on his back once more and prepared himself to go to sleep for the night. Right before he dozed off for the night, Jack whispered to the darkness. "I like you, too, kid."


	45. Revenge

**Title**: Cuts Like A Knife

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: January 21, 2005

**Summary**: _Part I of the Soul Mates Series_; She thought that life couldn't get any better. She had friends and a family that loved her – she was taken care of and had no complaints. But that was before he came into her life. And, no matter how hard she tries to escape his grasp, he'll never let her go.

**Queens******

Spindle paced nervously in the small guest room of the Queens' Lodging House for Girls. "Now, a week is real long time for Rip to be shopping for me present," she muttered to herself as she ran a hand through her thick red hair. "But my girls wouldn't lie to me, so I'm going to stay right here 'til he comes back with my present," she added looking around the room. Ever since the other girls had informed her of where Rip had gone she had remained locked in the guest room, leaving only to eat and use the rest rooms. She refused to sell without Rip by her side and didn't want to leave until he returned.

Spindle's thoughts were interrupted when there came a knock at the door. "Ummm-- Spindle?" she heard Psyche's voice call tentatively through the door, "someone is here to see you."

Spindle ran to the door and fumbled at the lock. "It's got to be Rip!" she thought merrily. She had given strict orders that she was not to be disturbed until Rip came back. When she finally got the door unlocked she flung it open, anxious to see her love.

"Rip-- Oh my God, Rip! What happened to you?" she whispered as she felt faint. Standing right in front of her was Rip, but not the Rip she knew. He had cuts and bruises all over his face, a black eye, a stab wound on his right arm... He looked like he had gotten run over by a carriage!

Rip stumbled into the guest room and collapsed onto the bed. "Water... get me some water..." he panted as he struggled to lift his legs onto the bed.

Spindle raced to the restroom and grabbed a glass of water for her beloved. "Rip, here's your water," she announced as she stood by his side, waiting to hear what had happened.

After snuggling himself against the soft fabric of the blanket, Rip began to talk. For over an hour Rip gave his version of the account. He told Spindle all about how he had gone to Manhattan to visit with some friends and had spent some time in their boarding house. And he told her about how on his fourth day he was jumped by two guys, the infamous King and one of his younger newsies, and left for dead after being beaten to a pulp. He continued his story, explaining how he had laid unconscious in a dark alley for hours before getting up and beginning to make his way back home, back to Spindle.

"It took me three days to get back to you, but I'm here for you now, my love," Rip added. Over the three days it had taken him to walk back to Queens, because of his injured state, Rip realized that he would never have Jess again. "If I can't have her, then no one will," he had vowed before concocting his own scheme. A scheme that would require Spindle's help.

Luckily for Rip, Spindle asked the one question Rip wanted, no needed, her too. "But, Rip, why did they just randomly beat you up?" she asked as she started to clean him up. He was a mess after all.

Rip covered up his laugh with a quick cough. "Well, I didn't want to tall you this, but they were friends of ... well..." he stopped for a second, hoping to build up suspense before telling Spindle that her rival was still alive.

"What? Don't do that to me, Rip. Tell me, tell me, tell me!!" she shrieked.

"OK, you asked for it. Those two guys beat me up cause Jess told them to."

"What? No... Jess, she died. Over a week ago, remember?" Spindle froze in her tracks. "There is no way that Rip is telling me that that li'l goody-goody is still alive," she muttered under her breath, refusing it to be true.

Rip fought back an amused smirk as he assured Spindle that Jess was alive and well. "I'm telling you, she's living over in Manhattan."

Spindle's flare for drama and her uncontrollable temper both jumped to their extreme points as she realized what Rip was telling her. "Well, let me tell you what this means. This means that Im going to at least get the chance to finish her off myself."

Rip faked a look of deep concern as he addressed the threat that the Cowboy left him with. "But, Spindle, they told' me that if they see me again, I'm dead. Jess is trying to forget all about her life here, if you ask me."

Spindle snapped her fingers as she came up with an interesting plan. "Remember, Rip, 'revenge is a dish best served cold'. Don't you worry, my love. We will get our revenge," she whispered huskily as she leaned forward and gave Rip a deep and passionate kiss.

Rip accepted the kiss with a smile. "That's just what I wanted to hear, Spindle, just what I wanted to hear." As he turned on his side so that Spindle could join him in his bed, he laughed as he thought about Jess. "You'll see, me 'Li'l Miss', if you would have just stayed with me like I wanted, none of this would have happened. Oh well, revenge will be ours!"

_Drivin__' home this evening  
I coulda sworn we had it all worked out  
You had this boy believin'  
Way beyond the shadow of a doubt_

Then I heard it on the street  
I heard you mighta found somebody new  
Well who is he baby - who is he  
And tell me what he means to you

I took it all for granted  
But how was I to know  
That you'd be letting go

Now it cuts like a knife  
But it feels so right  
It cuts like a knife  
But it feels so right

There's times I've 'bin mistaken  
There's times I thought I'd 'bin misunderstood  
So wait a minute darlin'  
Can't you see we did the best we could

This wouldn't be the first time  
Things have gone astray  
Now you've thrown it all away

Now it cuts like a knife  
But it feels so right  
It cuts like a knife  
But it feels so right

-- _Cut's Like A Knife_, by Bryan Adams.


End file.
